Brazilian health officials believe pregnant women are more
vulnerable of developing fetuses with microcephaly if they are infected with
Zika in their first trimester. So far in 2015, the ministry has reported 739
cases of babies born with microcephaly in nine states that have been hit hard
by Zika infections, while last year the same region reported only 45.
In its statement, the Health Ministry reported two other
deaths associated with the Zika virus not involving microcephaly. The victims
were an adult male who suffered from lupus and a 16-year-old girl.
"Research on the subject should continue to clarify
issues such as how it is transmitted, what it does to the body, how the fetus
gets infected and the time of greatest vulnerability for pregnant women,"
the ministry's statement said.
Researchers with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention are coming soon at the request of Brazil's government to study the
link between the rare neurological condition and Zika.
Microcephaly "usually reflects an underlying reduction
in the size of the brain," according to the CDC. The disorder can affect
motor skills and cause mental retardation.
The same mosquito that carries the dengue virus, Aedes
aegypti, is also responsible for spreading Zika, a disease that until now was
known as a mild version of dengue with symptoms such as fever, rash and joint
pain.
Before Brazil, outbreaks of Zika have occurred in Africa,
Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. The virus is not found in the United
States, but cases of Zika have been reported in returning travelers, according
to the CDC.
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