More than 5,000 cases of chikungunya this year

Around 5,721 Mexicans have been confirmed as victims of the Chikungunya virus in laboratory tests, but the health authorities are think that the number is actually bigger.

Pablo Kuri Morales, Vice-Minister for Prevention and Promotion of the Ministry of Health, expressed that the rainy season and the presence of hurricanes will represent an increase of the cases in the country.

There are currently reports of the virus in 18 states.

Kuri Morales expressed that the mosquito, which is the main vector of the virus will not arrive in Mexico City, and the city of Toluca, as well as the state of Tlaxcala and some municipalities of Zacatecas, due to the weather conditions.

During the VIII Global Conference of Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network, Kuri Morales expressed that the states with more reported cases are Guerrero, with 1,434, Oaxaca, with 992, and Michoacán, with 904. In the meantime, there has been an increase of cases in Veracruz, going up to 776, and Chiapas, with 544.

Kuri Morales added that it's just a matter of time before the mosquito arrives at the states north of the country.