Brazil strikes first major Zika epidemic in the world
One of the most respected infectious disease especialist of Brazil, Professor of the Medicine Faculty at the University of São Paulo and coordinator of the Disease Control of São Paulo Secretariat for Health, Marcos Boulos believes that the country currently strikes the largest Zika virus epidemic ever recorded in the world. And he defended a systematic fight against the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits not only the Zika virus, but also dengue and chikungunya fever.
Professor Marcos Boulos
In an interview to the TV program Espaço Público, broadcast by TV Brasil, he pointed out that the Zika infection has been until then globally considered a milder disease compared with the dengue fever, as it causes only mild fever, spots thoughout the body that disappear within three days, and less severe clinical conditions, rarely leading to death. The link of the Zika virus to microcephaly cases in Brazilian infants raised the red flag in the country.
Microcephaly is caused by an irreversible brain malformation, which can result in mental, sight, and hearing impairment. In a statement released Tuesday (Jan. 12), the Health Ministry announced that 3,530 suspected microcephaly cases related to the Zika virus in newborns were reported in Brazil between October 22nd 2015 and January 9th 2016.
Boulos noted that in all countries where Zika virus outbreak have been recorded, like French Polynesia and in some African towns, there has been no further recurrence. "If that happens, we will go through a major epidemic moment and then, there will likely be a slack [moment]," he gave his opinion.
"We need to better understand the Zika to know what it can become. We are frightened by things that are happening. It is worrying to have people wanting to get pregnant knowing that, in case of having Zika, they can possibly have a child with problems that will disturb the life and the family's development,"said the infectious disease specialist.
Translated by Amarílis Anchieta
Fonte: Brazil strikes first major Zika epidemic in the world
