Vietnam reported the country's first case of microcephaly, which has high chances of being linked to Zika virus, an official at Vietnam's department health said on Sunday.
The General Department of Preventive Medicine said in a statement posted on its official website that the case is of a four-month old baby detected with microcephaly in the central province of Dak Lak.
The authorities said the baby's mother was diagnosed with Zika virus. As of now, Vietnam has reported nine cases of Zika infections across the country.
Microcephaly is a state in which the baby's head is smaller than expected. It is caused by Zika virus, which was first identified in Uganda in 1947. More than 1,900 cases of microcephaly were reported in Brazil which is hardest hit so far.
Among the Southeast Asian countries, Singapore and Thailand are the most Zika affected countries with a total of about 800 cases, including dozens of pregnant women.
Myanmar confirms zika in pregnant woman
On Friday, Myanmar confirmed the first case of a Zika virus infected pregnant woman.
Reports say the virus has spread to some 60 countries since its outbreak. There is no treatment or vaccine for Zika infection yet. Companies and scientists are working to develop a safe and effective vaccine for the virus.
According to the World Health Organisation, people infected with Zika can have symptoms including mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise or headache. These symptoms of Zika normally last for two to seven days.
