Brazil, Zika Virus - 2,401 Suspected Cases of Microcephaly in 20 States, 134 confirmed - 27 Suspicious Deaths - (06 - 12/12/2015)

[Gert van der Hoek]

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL REPORT No. 04/2015 - EPIDEMIOLOGICAL WEEK 49 (06 12/12/2015)

MONITORING MICROCEFALY CASES IN BRAZIL

This report from COES - Microcefaly aims to document and disseminate updated information on
epidemiological situation of microcephaly in Brazil, focusing on research and response to changing
pattern of occurrence of the disease in this country.

CURRENT EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SITUATION

The distribution of cases reported to the Secretariat of Health Surveillance, Ministry of Health
(SVS / MS) to epidemiological week (SE) 49/2015 lies in Table 1, stratified by Unit
Federation of residence. In line with the "Surveillance and Response Protocol to the occurrence of
microcephaly related to infection by Zika virus, "presents the cases under investigation, the
and those with confirmed diagnosis for surveillance discarded.

Until December 12, 2015, it was notified to the SVS / MS a total of 2,401 suspected cases of
microcephaly related to infection by Zika virus, identified in 549 municipalities in 20
Brazilian states. Of the total reported cases, 2,165 are under investigation, 134 were
confirmed and 102 were diagnosed discarded for surveillance. In SE 49/2015, six new states
(Esp?rito Santo, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Par?, S?o Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul) notified suspect cases.


Among the total cases have been reported 27 suspicious deaths, all in the Northeast. two deaths
previously notified by the State of Rio de Janeiro were diagnosed discarded for surveillance.

Figure 1 shows the spatial distribution of municipalities with suspected cases of microcephaly
notified to the SE 49/2015. It continues by observing a concentration of cases in the Northeast,
with a significant increase in the number of municipalities with 11-50 reported cases. Besides the three
municipalities who already had more than 50 suspected cases reported in SE 48/2015 (Recife, Jo?o Pessoa
and Salvador), the SVS / MS received notification of 63 cases in the municipality of Rondon?polis / MT and 54 in Jaboat?o
Guararapes / PE.

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[Gert van der Hoek]

Caracas,
Wednesday
December 16,2015

Brazil Confirms 134 Cases of Zika-Linked Birth Defects

RIO DE JANEIRO – The number of Brazilian babies born so far this year with abnormally small heads as a result of the Zika virus stands at 134, of whom one died, according to a bulletin issued by the Health Ministry on Tuesday.

The total number of cases of babies suffering from the condition known as microcephaly this year in Brazil stands at 2,401, and Zika has been ruled out in just 102 instances although the remaining 2,165 patients are being examined to determine the origin of the condition.

Zika, which, like dengue fever and Chikungunya, is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, began spreading in recent months through several Latin American countries, and its spread in Brazil has been linked to a significant jump in cases of microcephaly.

According to the Health Ministry, the microcephaly cases probably caused by the virus have occurred in 549 municipalities in 20 of Brazil’s 27 states.

The bulletin also revealed that, since the beginning of the year, authorities have registered 29 deaths of babies with microcephaly, but to date just one of those deaths has been definitively linked by laboratory testing to the Zika virus.

Of the other 28 deaths, any link to the virus has been ruled out in just two cases, while the rest are still being investigated.

The ministry on Tuesday emphasized that, even with the technology available to health authorities, the virus is difficult to detect, given that around 80 percent of the infected patients show no symptoms or signs of it.

 

[Roehl_JC]

[h=2]Brazil warns against pregnancy due to spreading virus[/h] Rio de Janeiro (CNN) ? Brazilian health officials are dishing out some unusual advice these days: Don't get pregnant.
That's the message for would-be parents, especially in the country's northeast, after officials linked a mosquito-borne virus called Zika to a surge in newborn microcephaly, a neurological disorder that can result in incomplete brain development.
"It's a very personal decision, but at this moment of uncertainty, if families can put off their pregnancy plans, that's what we're recommending," Angela Rocha, the pediatric infectologist at Oswaldo Cruz Hospital in Brazil's hardest-hit state, told CNN.
[h=2]Behind Brazil's outbreak[/h] More than 2,400 suspected cases of microcephaly have been reported this year in 20 Brazilian states, compared with 147 cases last year. Doctors are investigating 29 related infant deaths.
Microcephaly results in babies being born with abnormally small heads that cause, often serious, developmental issues and sometimes early death.
As a result, six states have declared a state of emergency. In Pernambuco state alone, more than 900 cases have been reported.
"These are newborns who will require special attention their entire lives. It's an emotional stress that just can't be imagined," Rocha said. "Here in Pernambuco, we're talking about a generation of babies that's going to be affected."
When the cases of microcephaly started to soar last month, doctors noticed they coincided with the appearance of the Zika virus in Brazil. They soon discovered that most of the affected mothers reported having Zika-like symptoms during early pregnancy ? mild fever, rash, and headaches.
On November 28, Brazil's Health Ministry announced that during an autopsy it had found the Zika virus in a baby born with microcephaly, establishing a link between the two.
"This is an unprecedented situation, unprecedented in world scientific research," the ministry said on its website..."

http://cnnphilippines.com/world/2015/12/24/zika-virus-brazil-pregnancy.html