Researchers scramble to learn more about Zika virus
The National Institutes of Health last week announced that it was making research into the Zika virus – and how it affects pregnancy and the developing fetus – a top priority. Zika is currently circulating in about 30 countries and territories, notably in Latin America and the Caribbean. The virus has been linked to a spike in cases of microcephaly — an abnormally small head resulting from an underdeveloped and/or damaged brain — among newborn babies.
One of the highest priorities is to establish conclusively what role, if any, Zika virus has played in the marked increase in suspected microcephaly cases. In Brazil, more than 4,000 microcephaly cases have been reported since October 2015, up from 147 known cases in 2014. It is possible that these microcephaly cases could have another cause, or that a contributing factor in addition to Zika virus — another virus, for example — could be leading to the condition.