CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuela's medical community is demanding the government publish statistics about the Zika virus and warning it could already be alarmingly widespread.
Venezuela's Ministry of Health has so far limited itself to confirming the presence of the mosquito-borne illness in the South American country. The ministry stopped publishing data on all epidemic diseases a year ago.
Former Health Minister Jose Felix Oletta says it is unacceptable that the government wait so long to release Zika statistics and begin working to contain the virus.
Non-government organizations have reported a sharp increase in unusual fevers here.
Medical professionals in this highly polarized country tend to lean toward the opposition. They blame the socialist administration for widespread shortages of medical supplies.
On Tuesday, the opposition-controlled Congress declared Venezuela was in a humanitarian health crisis.
