Zika Virus Causes Birth Defects, Confirm US Health Authorities

Zika virus causes birth defects, including microcephaly in which babies are born with unusually small heads, US health authorities confirmed.

Zika virus is a cause of microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects, said scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The decision was based in part on a series of studies in Brazil, where thousands of babies were born last year with birth defects, coinciding with a spike in Zika virus infections among the general public.

Zika Fever - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention
Zika virus is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes which causes mild fever with maculopapular rash. No treatment or vaccine is currently available.

"This study marks a turning point in the Zika outbreak," said CDC chief Tom Frieden.

"It is now clear that the virus causes microcephaly."

There was no "smoking gun," or single piece of evidence that offered conclusive proof, said the full report, published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Test Your Knowledge on Zika Virus
Zika virus is a mosquito-borne virus that causes fever, headache, skin rashes, joint and muscle pain in infected individuals. The symptoms usually last for only 2 to 7 days. Fetal symptoms vary and have led to International concern.

Rather, the decision was made based on "increasing evidence from a number of recently published studies and a careful evaluation using established scientific criteria," said the CDC.

Further studies are being launched to "determine whether children who have microcephaly born to mothers infected by the Zika virus is the tip of the iceberg of what we could see in damaging effects on the brain and other developmental problems," Frieden added.

About Multifactorial Birth Defects
Encyclopedia section of medindia gives in brief General Info about About Multifactorial Birth Defects.

Source-AFP

Environmental Birth Defects - Chemical Factors - Biological Sources - Diagnosis - Treatment - FAQs
Birth defects caused due to environmental teratogens like drugs, microorganisms or exposure to radiation are called as environmental birth defects.