Microcephaly, a disorder occurring in infants that result from them having a small brain is currently sweeping the nation of Brazil. It went from 200 cases in 2014 to 3,000 cases recorded in 2015 and now the country has announced a state of emergency for those places that have been hit hard by this epidemic.
In a recent report published by Quartz.com, a virus called Zika is the one causing this neurological disorder to newborn babies caused by mosquitos. Uganda was the first country affected by it back in the 1940s. It then made its way to Africa and some countries in Asia, until finally reaching South America. Unfortunately, no cure has been discovered for it yet, nor any medication is out there to prevent it.
But newborn babies are not the only one vulnerable to this disease; adults and children could also be infected by the Zika virus only benign and with symptoms that sometimes are not present. The usual symptoms include fever and rashes. The publication Quartz also said that Brazil has now an estimated 1.5 million victims of this disease.
According to The Costa Rican Times, Brazil's Ministry of Health along with the health departments in South and Central America are all focusing on the study of this virus and its effect to possible victims, especially when it becomes a full-blown microcephaly disease. The public is now being warned about the harmful results of this virus and as of the moment, awareness is key, especially for women who are planning to have children anytime soon.
CNN published a report regarding microcephaly stating that doctors in Brazil recently announced that the Zika virus has been found in the placenta of babies infected by it. Delaying pregnancy is encouraged, especially those women who show symptoms of having the virus at the early stage of their pregnancy.
