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Just about a month ago the Zika Virus was seen as a rising threat to the largest South American nation – Brazil. Today, it has been declared a state of public health emergency in six of its states.
Brazil has reported 2,975 suspected cases of microcephaly in babies, which may have been caused by Zika virus infection, local authorities said Tuesday.
The country has been facing a sharp and sudden increase in cases of microcephaly, a condition in which a baby is born with a smaller-than-normal cranium and can lead to cognitive and other health problems.
Doctors in the northeastern state of Pernambuco started to make a connection between the unusual increase in microcephaly cases with Zika virus a few months ago, as several of the babies’ mothers had been infected with Zika virus in the early stages of pregnancy.
The suspected link was later confirmed by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, a governmental research institution which studies infectious diseases. Traces of Zika virus were found in the amniotic fluid of women who were pregnant with babies with microcephaly.
According to the Health Ministry, there are suspected cases of microcephaly in 656 towns in 20 out of Brazil’s 27 states.
The government is also investigating the deaths of 40 babies suspected to have been born with microcephaly caused by Zika infection.
The connection between Zika infection and microcephaly had never been made before, as the virus had never spread over such a large area as Brazil
Zika virus is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. It causes mild fever and rash. Other symptoms include muscle pain, joint pain, headache, pain behind the eyes and conjunctivitis.
Zika virus disease is usually mild, with symptoms lasting only a few days.
The disease has similar clinical signs to dengue, and may be misdiagnosed in areas where dengue is common.
There is no cure for Zika virus disease. Treatment is focused on relieving the symptoms.
Prevention and control relies on reducing the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes and minimizing contact between mosquito vectors and people by using barriers (such as repellents, insect screens), reducing water-filled habitats supporting mosquito larvae in and close to dwellings, and reducing the adult mosquito populations around at-risk communities.
Agencies/Canadajournal
