World

Zika's Untold War: Coming July 11

The rise of the Zika virus in El Salvador stunned millions of people.

Zika's Untold War: Coming July 11
Newsy / Kevin Clancy
SMS

"Zika's Untold War" is a three-part Newsy Original Series that will be released July 11.

El Salvador's Ministry of Health reported an estimated 7,138 suspected cases of the Zika virus were detected between December and January of 2016. In a country of just 6 million people, the seemingly sudden rise of this health crisis seized those expecting or attempting to get pregnant with fears of devastating fetal defects like microcephaly, hearing loss and impaired growth. 

In this series, Newsy investigates the roles of the church and government in Salvadoran reproductive rights, the link between Zika and birth defects, the rise of Guillain-Barre syndrome, and recent medical breakthroughs that all highlight the international significance of El Salvador's struggle to combat the virus.