Mosquitos are known to carry very dangerous diseases and a lot of efforts have been made to reduce their prevalence. Lately, a new virus, the Zika virus, has been posing quite a threat to the newborns of Brazil and parents are encouraged to take various counteractive measures against them.
The primary effect of the Zika virus is it causes infants to be born with dangerously small brains. This is considered to be a highly acute form of brain damage, especially for still developing newborns. What's worse is that this condition (microcephaly) is currently incurable. The Zika virus is very much related to dengue and chikungunya.
Health experts have advised pregnant women to stay away from mosquito-infested areas to reduce the chance of being bitten. In fact, some obstetricians in Brazils have advised against women in Brazil getting pregnant while the disease is still considered an epidemic. The El Niño currently being experienced in Brazil may lead to the spread of the virus.
"More than 2,700 microcephalic babies have been born in Brazil this year, up from fewer than 150 in 2014," Brazilian reports say. According to the New York Times, the increase is currently being blamed on the Zika virus, but that is only tentative. There are some who say that the link between the virus and cases of microcephaly is not clear.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has released statements about a few cases of the Zika virus being detected in the United States via travelers returning to the country. These Zika cases "will likely increase and may result in local spread of the virus in some areas of the United States," according to the CDC.
The dangerous Zika virus does not only affect newborn children. It is suspected that exposure to this virus in adults can lead to Guillain-Barré syndrome, which begins with muscle weakness and may eventually evolve into paralysis if left untreated.
