Danish and Swiss travelers returning from holidays in Latin America and Caribbean were diagnosed with Zika virus infection

The Aedes aegypti mosquito-borne virus infections responsible for birth defects (microcephaly) continues to spread into Europe, after three tourists from Denmark and Switzerland returning from Latin America were found Zika virus-positive.

“A Danish tourist who traveled to Central and South America was diagnosed on his return with the Zika virus”, hospital officials declared.

Similarly, two tourists from Switzerland returning from Haiti and Colombia were also infected, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health reported.

According to the EU statistics, the first Zika virus infections were recorded in Europe back in March 2015: 10 cases in the Netherlands, 5 in Britain, 4 in Italy and Portugal respectively, 1 in Sweden and 2 in Spain. All of the tourists have traveled to South America.

Russian health minister Veronika Skvortsova declared that her country's authorities had been “monitoring [Zika] since it appeared. Now we are working on controlling it as soon as any strange strains appear.”

Vladimir Putin also raised concerns over the possibility of Zika virus spreading. “We need to pay attention to this. Work with transportation companies, airlines, understand the signs and react quickly. Of course mosquitoes cannot fly over the ocean, but infected people can and do”, he stated, as the disease can be very insidious and has no vaccine or specific treatment.

The disease is originated from Africa, Asia and the Pacific and raises great concerns over pregnancy, as it affects brain development of new-born babies (microcephaly).

Twenty Latin American and Caribbean countries are currently affected by the outbreak. Florida, Hawaii and New York also registered Zika virus cases between people traveling to South America.