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| Brazil still unsure of how bad the country's Zika virus outbreak is | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Brazil, the country at the frontline of the Zika crisis, has admitted it is struggling to comprehend, let alone cope with, the epidemic. | Brazil, the country at the frontline of the Zika crisis, has admitted it is struggling to comprehend, let alone cope with, the epidemic. |
| A little more than six months before the country hosts the Olympics, the government has dispatched hundreds of thousands of troops and public officials on mosquito-eradication campaigns to minimise the risks. | A little more than six months before the country hosts the Olympics, the government has dispatched hundreds of thousands of troops and public officials on mosquito-eradication campaigns to minimise the risks. |
| But senior officials admit they are still unsure of the scale of the problem they face because the country’s estimate of 1.5m cases is based on guesswork. | But senior officials admit they are still unsure of the scale of the problem they face because the country’s estimate of 1.5m cases is based on guesswork. |
| “Eighty per cent of the people infected by Zika do not develop significant symptoms,” the health minister, Marcelo Castro, told Reuters on Monday. “A large number of people have the virus with no symptoms, so the situation is more serious than we can imagine.” | “Eighty per cent of the people infected by Zika do not develop significant symptoms,” the health minister, Marcelo Castro, told Reuters on Monday. “A large number of people have the virus with no symptoms, so the situation is more serious than we can imagine.” |
| His comments came as the World Health Organisation declared a “public health emergency of international concern” due to the apparent link between the virus and a surge in cases of newborns with microcephaly – or small brains. | His comments came as the World Health Organisation declared a “public health emergency of international concern” due to the apparent link between the virus and a surge in cases of newborns with microcephaly – or small brains. |
| The WHO director-general, Margaret Chan, said the link between the Zika virus and microcephaly was “strongly suspected but not yet scientifically proven”. | The WHO director-general, Margaret Chan, said the link between the Zika virus and microcephaly was “strongly suspected but not yet scientifically proven”. |
| “After a review of the evidence, the committee advised that the clusters of microcephaly and other neurological complications constitute an extraordinary event and public health threat to other parts of the world,” Chan said. | “After a review of the evidence, the committee advised that the clusters of microcephaly and other neurological complications constitute an extraordinary event and public health threat to other parts of the world,” Chan said. |
| Despite the lack of reliable data, Castro said researchers were convinced the virus had caused the birth defects. Although a link has not been proven, concerns are growing because both the disease and the abnormality have risen sharply. | Despite the lack of reliable data, Castro said researchers were convinced the virus had caused the birth defects. Although a link has not been proven, concerns are growing because both the disease and the abnormality have risen sharply. |
| In an effort to get a clearer picture, Brazilian authorities will oblige local health authorities to report all cases from next week, when most states should have the equipment and personnel to carry out Zika tests. It will also ban people who have the virus from donating blood. | In an effort to get a clearer picture, Brazilian authorities will oblige local health authorities to report all cases from next week, when most states should have the equipment and personnel to carry out Zika tests. It will also ban people who have the virus from donating blood. |
| Since October, there have been more than 3,700 confirmed or suspected cases of microcephaly in Brazil, compared with less than 200 the previous year. The Zika virus was identified in fewer than 10 of these cases, but concerns about a possible correlation have prompted the Brazilian government to advise women to consider postponing pregnancies and for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to warn pregnant women not to visit Brazil. | Since October, there have been more than 3,700 confirmed or suspected cases of microcephaly in Brazil, compared with less than 200 the previous year. The Zika virus was identified in fewer than 10 of these cases, but concerns about a possible correlation have prompted the Brazilian government to advise women to consider postponing pregnancies and for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to warn pregnant women not to visit Brazil. |
| Brazil’s president, Dilma Rousseff, acknowledged last week that the country needs to do more to quell public fears. | Brazil’s president, Dilma Rousseff, acknowledged last week that the country needs to do more to quell public fears. |
| Related: City at centre of Brazil's Zika epidemic reeling from disease's insidious effects | Related: City at centre of Brazil's Zika epidemic reeling from disease's insidious effects |
| “We do not have a vaccine for Zika yet. The only thing we can do is fight the mosquito,” she told reporters during a visit to the emergency headquarters of the anti-Zika campaign. “As long as [the mosquitoes] are reproducing, we are all losing the battle. We have to mobilise to win it.” | “We do not have a vaccine for Zika yet. The only thing we can do is fight the mosquito,” she told reporters during a visit to the emergency headquarters of the anti-Zika campaign. “As long as [the mosquitoes] are reproducing, we are all losing the battle. We have to mobilise to win it.” |
| On Monday, the president’s office announced sweeping powers for health officials to access any property suspected of being a mosquito breeding ground regardless of whether the owner is at home. | On Monday, the president’s office announced sweeping powers for health officials to access any property suspected of being a mosquito breeding ground regardless of whether the owner is at home. |
| Public health officials, backed by troops and police, have stepped up efforts to destroy breeding grounds of the suspected carrier – the Aedes aegypti mosquito – particularly in the north-east, which is where most cases have been concentrated. Later this month, military personnel will also be dispatched to affected areas in Rio de Janeiro, which will host the Olympics in August. | Public health officials, backed by troops and police, have stepped up efforts to destroy breeding grounds of the suspected carrier – the Aedes aegypti mosquito – particularly in the north-east, which is where most cases have been concentrated. Later this month, military personnel will also be dispatched to affected areas in Rio de Janeiro, which will host the Olympics in August. |