On Friday, Ana Rius, MD, the secretary of health of Puerto Rico, reported the death of an 80-year-old man infected with the Zika virus, according to an Associated Press report relayed by Daily Mail. This is the third Zika-related death to occur on the island.
According to the report, the Zika virus caused a drop in platelets, which, in addition to other comorbidities, contributed to his death due to respiratory and cardiac complications.
The two other Zika-related deaths in the territory occurred after the infected individuals developed complications related to Guillain-Barre syndrome — a disorder where the immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system, which causes paralysis. Guillain-Barre has been previously linked to Zika.
Dr. Rius also reported the death of a fetus with brain damage related to a Zika infection in the mother.
According to the Associated Press, there have been 26,701 Zika cases reported on the island, including more than 2,000 pregnant women.
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