The Spread Of The Zika Virus

Spain has just confirmed that a pregnant woman has been diagnosed with the Zika virus, marking the first such case in Europe. Other European countries including Ireland and Denmark have reported infections but Spain's is the first case involving a pregnant woman.

The Zika virus has been around for over 60 years but it has gone global over the past few weeks with the World Health Organisation warning that it has "explosive pandemic potential". It is a mosquito-borne disease that has symptoms similar to the dengue and chikungunya viruses. Transmission is curently acrive in 30 countries across the Americas, Pacific islands and Cape Verde.

This chart shows countries and territories with active Zika virus transmission and reported cases.