Brazil links dengue-like virus to birth defects in babies

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The dengue-like Zika virus has been linked for the first time to cases of babies being born with small heads, or microcephaly, Brazil's government said.

It said scientists studying a surge of such cases in northeastern Brazil found the presence of the virus in the blood of a baby born with birth defects in Ceara state. The girl died.

"This is an unprecedented situation in the global scientific community," the Health Ministry said in a statement released Saturday.

Researchers with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are coming soon at the request of Brazil's government to study the link between the rare neurological condition and Zika.

FULL story at link.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/9304e6de70e245329d6fe3f1c1906910/brazil-links-dengue-virus-birth-defects-babies

[jwirr]

1. I hope they are correct. Someone needs to replicate the

study as soon as possible.

[McCamy Taylor]

2. This is too scary for words. The rubella vaccine was supposed to eliminate the risk

of minor viral illnesses causing major birth defects. If this one ever gets to the US we can expect widespread panic. Every pregnant woman who gets a rash will worry that she is going to have a microcephalic baby.

[valerief]

3. Some Pakistani people use these children for begging.

http://oddculture.com/the-rat-people-of-pakistan/