President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos on Saturday said upon his request, the U.S. is sending experts to help his country fight and control the Zika virus from spreading.

An American team of doctors and scientists will soon arrive in Colombia to help fight the disease, said Santos.

In a meeting with health authorities held Saturday in Bogota, the capital of Colombia, Santos said that the number of people infected by Zika virus in Colombia had reached 25,646, including 3,177 pregnant women.

Health Minister of Colombia Alejandro Gaviria also stated at Saturday's meeting that there would be 600,000 and 700,000 people to be affected by the Zika virus in Colombia this year.

Santos said that the rapid increase had led him to ask U.S. President Barack Obama for help. During a meeting in Washington D.C. Thursday, Santos briefed President Obama about the situation of the mosquito-borne epidemic in his country and requested help, to which Obama agreed. Endit

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)