Cases of babies born with unusually small heads continue to rise in Brazil. Researchers believe that they have found new evidence linking it to the Zika Virus.
Known as Microcephaly, it is a neurological disorder in which infants are born with smaller craniums and brains, and is believed to be caused by the mosquito-borne virus called “Zika Virus” first seen in Africa in 1947.
Zika disease, however has been known to cause microcephaly before and scientists know very little about Zika virus. The virus was first detected in Brazil last year, thus leading Brazil’s Ministry of Health to link it to the fetal deformations and warn pregnant women to use insect repellent to avoid mosquito bites.They said the number suspected cases of microcephaly increased to 3,893 by January 16 from 3,530 cases in 10 days earlier, The number of reported deaths of deformed babies rose to 49, ministry officials said at a news conference.
Zika virus is transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is also famous for carrying deadly viruses like dengue, yellow fever and Chikungunya.
The U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Issued a travel advisory last week warning pregnant women to avoid 14 countries and territories in Carribean and Latin America affected by the virus.
In Colombia, which has second highest Zika infection rate after Brazil, the government is adjusting women to delay becoming pregnant for six to eight months to avoid the risk.
Mosquitoes are known to spread several diseases, take safety precautions as much as possible.
