«As we learn more about the consequences of Zika infection, including the recent revelation that babies of Zika - infected mothers who had normal head sizes at birth have been diagnosed
with microcephaly months later, it is vital that we know this enemy and remain vigilant in protecting ourselves,» Diaz concludes.
Not exact matches
The number of babies born
with microcephaly in northeast Brazil, the country hardest hit by the Zika outbreak, has increased about 40-fold from baseline levels in the last six
months, according to reports from Brazil's Ministry of Health.
An association between Zika infections during pregnancy and the birth of babies
with microcephaly (a birth defect in which an infant's brain does not develop properly resulting in a smaller than normal head) was first suggested by Brazilian physicians in August 2015, and in November
microcephaly cases potentially associated
with Zika started to be recorded; three
months later WHO made its announcement.
Contracted through the bite of an infected mosquito or through sexual or other modes of transmission, Zika virus (ZIKV) infection can be prenatally passed from mother to fetus.1 The virus was first identified in the region of the Americas in early 2015, when local transmission was reported in Brazil.2 Six
months later, a notable increase in the number of infants
with congenital
microcephaly was observed in northeast Brazil.3, 4 Clinical, epidemiologic, and laboratory evidence led investigators to conclude that intrauterine ZIKV infection was a cause of
microcephaly and serious brain anomalies.5 - 7 However, as
with other newly recognized teratogens, these features likely represent a portion of a broader spectrum.
In some Brazilian states where Zika virus has been circulating in recent
months, there has been a marked increase in cases of newborns
with microcephaly.
The Zika virus, first discovered in 1957, was thought to be harmless for decades before the link
with microcephaly emerged in recent
months.
Microcephaly or postnatal
microcephaly, which is when a baby is born
with, or within 6 - 12
months has, a very small head and brain.