MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) — The infectious disease was not considered a major threat until a pandemic was reported in Brazil in May 2015. Its explosive spread led to a public health emergency being declared in November of that year.
"The end of the emergency does not mean the end of surveillance or assistance. The Health Ministry and other bodies concerned will continue combating Zika," Adeilson Cavalcante, secretary in charge of health monitoring, said in a statement.
Brazil registered 7,911 Zika cases between January 1 and April 15 of this year, a drop of 95.4 percent from the same period in 2016. The disease, which is linked to birth defects, has killed 260 newborns and apparently caused microcephaly in 2,200 babies.
