Birth Defects Research Paper
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the link between Zika virus and birth defects such as microcephaly, which has affected about 5,000 children in Brazil.
The CDC said that now they had enough evidence to conclude that the virus does cause microcephaly and other birth defects, if the mothers are infected during pregnancy.
"We've now confirmed what mounting evidence has suggested, affirming our early guidance to pregnant women and their partners to take steps to avoid Zika infection and to health care professionals who are talking to patients every day," Tom Frieden, CDC director, said in a news release. "We are working to do everything possible to protect the American public."
"We are also launching further studies …show more content…
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," he said.
However, not all babies born to mothers who had Zika virus during pregnancy have babies with birth defects, but the percentage of risk associated with it is not known.
"We started using criteria about a month ago to see which ones had been met and which ones had not been met. We wanted to do this in a systematic and calculated way." said Dr. Sonja Rasmussen, lead author of CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
WHO has reported that over 1,000 microcephaly and other cases of birth defects from mothers infected with virus have been reported from six countries.
A more comprehensive range of health problems associated with the virus is still not known.
Scientists say that microcephaly cases associated with Zika appear to look more severe than cases not linked with the virus, in terms of head measurements. Also, in Zika-related cases of birth defects, a fetal brain neural pathway disruption was seen.
"This is an unprecedented situation," Frieden said. "Never before in history has there been a situation when a bite from a mosquito can result in such a devastating scenario."
CDC said that pregnant mothers need to take extra precautions to not allow themselves to be bitten by mosquitoes.
"We know mosquito bites spread other diseases as well, so it's important for pregnant women, and everyone, to not get bitten by mosquitoes," Rasmussen was quoted as saying by CNN. That means wearing long pants and long sleeves when outside, using mosquito repellant and removing any standing water from around homes and throughout communities.
The health officials in United States have raised concern over the possibility of increasing cases of Zika virus as summer draws near. The Zika vectors, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, are thought to have spread in southern belt, as well as all over the country though their distribution is not exactly
known.
The CDC said that now they had enough evidence to conclude that the virus does cause microcephaly and other birth defects, if the mothers are infected during pregnancy.
"We've now confirmed what mounting evidence has suggested, affirming our early guidance to pregnant women and their partners to take steps to avoid Zika infection and to health care professionals who are talking to patients every day," Tom Frieden, CDC director, said in a news release. "We are working to do everything possible to protect the American public."
"We are also launching further studies …show more content…
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," he said.
However, not all babies born to mothers who had Zika virus during pregnancy have babies with birth defects, but the percentage of risk associated with it is not known.
"We started using criteria about a month ago to see which ones had been met and which ones had not been met. We wanted to do this in a systematic and calculated way." said Dr. Sonja Rasmussen, lead author of CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
WHO has reported that over 1,000 microcephaly and other cases of birth defects from mothers infected with virus have been reported from six countries.
A more comprehensive range of health problems associated with the virus is still not known.
Scientists say that microcephaly cases associated with Zika appear to look more severe than cases not linked with the virus, in terms of head measurements. Also, in Zika-related cases of birth defects, a fetal brain neural pathway disruption was seen.
"This is an unprecedented situation," Frieden said. "Never before in history has there been a situation when a bite from a mosquito can result in such a devastating scenario."
CDC said that pregnant mothers need to take extra precautions to not allow themselves to be bitten by mosquitoes.
"We know mosquito bites spread other diseases as well, so it's important for pregnant women, and everyone, to not get bitten by mosquitoes," Rasmussen was quoted as saying by CNN. That means wearing long pants and long sleeves when outside, using mosquito repellant and removing any standing water from around homes and throughout communities.
The health officials in United States have raised concern over the possibility of increasing cases of Zika virus as summer draws near. The Zika vectors, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, are thought to have spread in southern belt, as well as all over the country though their distribution is not exactly
known.