Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Medindia

Mosquitoes Spread Microcephaly Disease in Brazil: Health Ministry

by Dr. Trupti Shirole on Dec 1 2015 7:08 PM

Cases of microcephaly are skyrocketing in Brazil and the discovery that mosquitoes carry the disease means there are few ways to stop it.

 Mosquitoes Spread Microcephaly Disease in Brazil: Health Ministry
Microcephaly refers to a condition that threatens women especially in the first three months of pregnancy, and causes babies to be born with small heads. Cases of microcephaly are skyrocketing in Brazil and the discovery that mosquitoes carry the disease means there are few ways to stop it.
The health ministry statistics reveal that there were 1,248 cases in 2015, compared to just 147 in 2014.

Claudio Maierovitch, director of the epidemiology department at the health ministry, said, "Complicating the situation is the revelation that mosquitos carrying the dengue-like Zika virus are spreading microcephaly, which also curbs mental development in the baby. The control of the sickness depends on control of the transmitter, in this case the mosquito. There is currently no specific treatment for the Zika virus. That is what worries the Brazilian government."

Zika, which is related to dengue, has been detected in 14 of Brazil's 27 states in 2015.

The health ministry is in talks with the World Health Organization (WHO) and two US specialists are expected to arrive in Brazil within days.

Source-AFP


Advertisement