The number of confirmed cases of microcephaly in Brazil has reached 462, and almost four thousand cases of such a diagnosis are suspected, Brazilian authorities said.
In total in 3852 cases, the diagnosis has not yet been finally confirmed. The total number of suspected and confirmed cases rose from 4,074 reported on February 2 to 4,314.
Brazilian baby with zika microcephaly
Congenital abnormalities, manifesting as abnormally small head and brain sizes, have been linked to an outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus. The World Health Organization has named the virus a global threat and has called for international collaboration to create a vaccine.
The WHO previously said that they do not yet have accurate scientific confirmation of the link between the Zika virus and microcephaly, but such information could be obtained within a few weeks.
Brazil has been most severely affected by the Zika virus outbreak. The country's authorities announced that on Saturday they will send more than 200 thousand soldiers to the streets of the country, who will distribute leaflets and warn the population about the danger of this disease.
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Currently, several vaccines for the Zika virus are being developed at once, but their full-scale trials will begin no earlier than in a year and a half, the WHO said earlier. Diagnostic tests to detect the virus will also appear soon.
On Thursday it became known that a third adult has died in Brazil from complications caused by the Zika virus.
First case of Zika virus recorded in Russia
A Russian woman, who was on vacation in the Dominican Republic, contracted the Zika virus. This was reported on Monday, February 15, on the Rospotrebnadzor website. It is noted that this is the first case of a fever by Russian citizens.
“Upon arrival in Moscow, clinical manifestations of the disease were not noted, a few days after the return was recorded deterioration of health, fever, rash,” - noted in the department.
The woman was immediately hospitalized, she is currently in the box of the infectious diseases hospital. Her condition is assessed as satisfactory. Specialists also established observation of family members of the sick person. They showed no clinical manifestations of fever, and the results of tests for the Zika virus were negative.
In addition, a "set of necessary anti-epidemic measures" was carried out on board the plane, which the Russian woman was returning from the Dominican Republic. “There is no threat to the health of passengers,” added Rospotrebnadzor.
The service also drew attention to the fact that in the Russian climatic conditions there is no risk of the spread of fever.