Finland has had two cases of Zika virus: official

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Two people in Finland have tested positive for the mosquito-transmitted Zika virus since last summer, the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) said on Wednesday. The first case was a man who returned from the Maldives in June, the World Health Organization said on its website - about the same time that the outbreak was first reported in Brazil. The second case was diagnosed more recently, THL said, declining to give any further details. The Zika virus is linked to severe birth defects in thousands of babies in Brazil and is spreading rapidly in the Americas. There are also cases in European countries. (This version of the story was corrected to say the first person returned from the Maldives, not South America.) (Reporting by Jussi Rosendahl; Editing by Louise Ireland)