Brazil Reports Nearly 5,000 Zika-Linked Microcephaly Cases

The number of Zika-linked microcephaly cases in infants in Brazil has reached almost 5,000, the country’s Ministry of Health reports.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The total number of microcephaly cases registered in babies in Brazil went up from 4,863 to 4,976 in the past week, while the number of confirmed Zika related microcephaly cases has increased by over a hundred, rising up to 745, the ministry said on Wednesday.

Over half of Brazilian states are affected by the Zika virus with over 80 percent of all Zika cases having been registered in the east of the country.

The Zika virus affects primarily monkeys and humans and is transmitted by daytime-active mosquitoes. Transmission through blood transfusions and sexual intercourse has also been reported.

Zika does not cause serious complications in adults, but it can lead to severe brain defects, such as microcephaly, in newborns.

At present, there is no vaccine available to treat the Zika virus. Mosquito control remains crucial to prevent its spread.

The current Zika outbreak started in Brazil in the spring of 2015. It has since spread across Latin America, with cases having been reported in several European countries and the United States.