Can scientists prove Zika virus is causing birth defects?

As of February 18, 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported travel-related Zika virus infections in 21 other states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Doctors at the University Network of Environment and Health note that while Zika has been around for a long time, the birth defects are new.

“We do have Aedes aegypti mosquitoes [the mosquitoes that transmit the Zika virus] but they appear to be a different subspecies that prefer not to feed on people”.

The latest evidence indicating a link between Zika and microcephaly comes from tests on two pregnant women from Paraíba, a state in north-east Brazil.

Authorities suspect that Zika is responsible for at least 4,400 cases of microcephaly, a condition marked by abnormally small head size that can result in developmental problems.

The Dallas County health department has confirmed two people in the Texas county have tested positive for the Zika virus. PKU is a birth defect that hampers the body’s ability to break down the amino acid phenylalanine.

The researchers analysed samples of amniotic fluid – the fluid that surrounds and supports the baby – taken at 28 weeks, and detected the Zika virus.

“The fear of Zika virus seems to be outweighing actual threat to the traveling public”, said Christopher Pardee, manager of health intelligence at iJET, a global risk management company.

Also, in a show of support for Caribbean and Latin American countries battling the virus, the World Bank Group today announced $150 million in immediate funding, based on each country’s needs.

This was a case study of two women in Brazil who presented with clinical symptoms of the Zika virus, such as a rash and fever, during pregnancy.

“We have anticipated all along that travel-related cases would be identified in North Carolina, we want to take this opportunity to reinforce that travelers to any of the countries with active Zika transmission should follow precautions to minimize their exposure to mosquito bites”, said Dr. Megan Davies, state Epidemiologist for North Carolina.

Knowing the actual percentage of people who develop symptoms also could better prepare public health officials for future outbreaks of this poorly understood virus.

Since sexual transmission of the virus has been documented, health experts are also encouraging couples to use safe sex practices if partners have symptoms of the virus or have traveled to areas where there is a documented outbreak. However, health professionals warn that pregnant woman need to be especially careful because of the possibility that the virus could be linked to birth defects. While the ultimate goal is a vaccine, there is a lot of work to be done and shared on how the virus operates, he said.

Although microcephaly has been associated with the outbreak of the Zika virus, the Mayo Clinic states that there are many other causes of the condition. In this case, the Zika virus’ impact in countries like Brazil is being leveraged, while the potential impact in other countries make it a prime candidate for more malicious spam.