Can scientists prove that Zika virus causes microcephaly?

by Nathan Schauer figures by Daniel Utter Zika virus (ZIKV) has recently transformed from a relatively unknown tropical disease to a worldwide public health emergency. This crisis is due to emerging evidence that ZIKV causes microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), two neuronal disorders with severe symptoms. By now, SITN[1] and others[2][3][4] have reported that ZIKV may be linked to these two disorders, but the process … Continue reading Can scientists prove that Zika virus causes microcephaly?

Zika virus: newly arrived flavivirus may be behind the increase in microcephaly cases in Brazil

When Zika virus (ZIKV) arrived in Brazil this year it was expected to be a weaker version of Dengue virus. However, when cases of microcephaly, a rare neurological disorder, skyrocketed in the northeast region of Brazil, Brazil’s Ministry of Health (SUS) began investigating if ZIKV might have anything to do with it. Infants with microcephaly have an abnormally small head for their age and sex, … Continue reading Zika virus: newly arrived flavivirus may be behind the increase in microcephaly cases in Brazil