The announcement comes a day after the Centers for Disease Control confirmed that there’s no doubt Zika is a cause of the birth defects.
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Zika, which can also be sexually transmitted, has been sweeping through Latin America and the Caribbean in recent months, with fears that the number of cases will increase during the summer.
“This study shows the largest and most detailed case series of neuroimaging findings in children with microcephaly and presumed Zika virus related infection to date”, the doctors from Recife, the Brazilian city at the centre of the global Zika health crisis, wrote in the BMJ.
Never before in history has a bite from a mosquito been seen as the cause of birth defects, Frieden said. Plus, the virus has been found in the brain tissue of some babies with microcephaly who died.
Dr Friedan confirmed Zika Virus is the only mosquito-borne virus known to cause birth defects. The other 20% cause symptoms such as a fever, itchy rash, joint pain and pink eye.
Dr. Anne Schucat, the deputy director of the C.D.C., said on Monday at a White House briefing said that more than 700 people have been infected by the Zika virus in the United States and this included 69 expectant mothers. The Washington is preparing for the at-risk areas by reallocating the Ebola funds and use it in preventing the spread of Zika instead, Fox new said.
“The brain damage caused by Zika virus infection in these children was extremely severe, indicating a poor prognosis for neurological function”. It’s most notable symptom is a noticeably small head. As a result, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced that people should be aware that the bite from a mosquito could be a threat to pregnant women. Babies affected by Zika appear to have “fetal brain disruption sequence”, which occurs when normal growth in a fetus is interrupted by a destructive virus or parasite. Federal officials now believe the Zika Virus is “a bit scarier than initially thought”.Todd says what women need to be especially cognizant of is even if they avoid mosquitoes, there is still a chance they can get infected. Microcephaly and other birth defects have been linked to the virus in French Polynesia, Brazil, Colombia, Panama, and elsewhere. Pregnant women should avoid Zika virus hot spots. For now, several U.S. states, including Florida and Texas, are taking action to reduce mosquito infestations and create plans in case of a major outbreak. Second, it allows for knowing the relative and absolute risk among infants born to mothers who had the infection during pregnancy.
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Among other things, researchers found that the spike in microcephaly in Brazil involved women who were infected with Zika during the first or early second trimester of pregnancy.
