Trinidad to test samples of baby with probable Zika-related microcephaly
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Chief Medical Officer Winston De La Haye has disclosed that samples from the baby with ‘probable’ Zika-related microcephaly have been sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency in Trinidad for testing.
The CMO said that the test results will determine the exact cause of the condition in the infant, while ruling out other conditions that could cause microcephaly apart from the Zika virus.
“There are two tests that we can do. One is testing for the actual organism and bacteria related with the actual organism and the other is testing for the antibodies, as the organism doesn’t stay long in the body,” De La Haye explained.
Microcephaly is a birth defect in which a baby’s head is smaller than expected when compared to babies of the same sex and age.