Brazil Cautions Women To Avoid Pregnancy Over Zika Virus Outbreak (discovermagazine.com)

iONiUM writes: According to an article at Discover, "Authorities in Brazil have recently issued an unusual and unprecedented announcement to women: don't get pregnant, at least not just yet. Amidst an intractable outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, public health authorities in Brazil are highly suspicious of an unusual surge of cases of microcephaly among newborn children." There were over 3,000 cases in 2015.

It's believed this virus is linked to shrinking newborns brain, and it is spreading. "Zika virus is transmitted by mosquitoes, and it was first detected in Uganda in the 1940s. After spreading through Africa and parts of Asia, it has made its way to Latin America. There is no known vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat the disease caused by the virus. Since May 2015, the Brazilian government estimates that some 1.5 million people have been infected with the virus." The CDC has published an article about it, and travel warnings are now being issued for pregnant women.

Comments

Brazil has aggressive Mosquito control

[Crashmarik]

That they rolled out to combat Dengue Fever. http://www.iflscience.com/heal...

Wonder if that has just been ineffective against illnesses with a Mosquito vector or just not this particular virus.

Re: Brazil has aggressive Mosquito control

[Volanin]

I'm from Brazil. The same mosquito (Aedis Aegypti) is responsible for three diseases. Originally it was just Dengue Fever that was the problem, but recently there's been an outbreak of Chikungunya and Zika as well. These diseases have similar symptoms, but the latest one, Zika, is being deemed responsible for a huge increase of Microcephaly in newborns lately that is all over the news. There is indeed an aggressive mosquito control front and Government initiatives to inform the population, but keep in mind that it's Summer here in the Southern Hemisphere, and the higher temperatures are causing these mosquitoes to reproduce like a plague, making it much harder to solve the problem.

Re:Why are these Brazilians even having children?!

[Anonymous Coward]

Dear ignorant Coward.

Brazil is also known [by whom looks at it closely] for its beautiful mid-sized cities [where favelas are virtually unknown], where you live better than in US. Its wonderful beaches, and its growing middle class, that makes up more than 50% of the population. It is also known as middle income country that's getting rid of poverty faster than any other nation. Also, we are the ones researching the cure for the exact same diseases TFA mentions. We will win in the end, and if you think this is China's century, you'd better think again.

Now you can get you desperately ignorant words written down to a piece of paper and shove it up your ass.

Yeah, Brazilian here.

Not just Brazil

[Espectr0]

Now in Venezuela as well. We had chikunguya last year and now Zika as well. The aedes family of mosquitoes are extremely dangerous, now causing 4 common diseases (dengue and yellow fever as well)