Thousands of babies born with unusually small heads in Brazil linked to terrifying outbreak of mosquito-borne Zika virus

  • Thousands of babies in Brazil have been born with unusually small heads
  • Called microcephaly, scientists believe it is caused by the Zika virus
  • Cases of the terrifying virus have soared in Brazil in the past 12 months
  • But researchers are clueless as to how it reached the country from Africa

By Corey Charlton for MailOnline

Published: 11:41 EST, 21 January 2016 | Updated: 15:39 EST, 21 January 2016

Cases of babies born with unusually small heads continue to rise in Brazil where researchers say they have found new evidence linking the increase to the Zika virus.

Microcephaly is a neurological disorder in which infants are born with smaller craniums and brains, and is believed to be caused by the mosquito-borne virus first seen in Africa in 1947.

The surge of cases since the virus was first detected last year in Brazil led the ministry to link it to the fetal deformations and warn pregnant women to use insect repellent to avoid mosquito bites.

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In this photograph, a baby named Luiza who suffers from microcephaly has her head measured by a doctor in Pernambuco state, Brazil. Researchers believe the disorder may be linked to the Zika virus

In this photograph, a baby named Luiza who suffers from microcephaly has her head measured by a doctor in Pernambuco state, Brazil. Researchers believe the disorder may be linked to the Zika virus

Dejailson Arruda holds his daughter Luiza at their house in Santa Cruz do Capibaribe, Brazil. Brazilian health authorities believe her condition is related to the Zika virus that infected her mother during pregnancy

Dejailson Arruda holds his daughter Luiza at their house in Santa Cruz do Capibaribe, Brazil. Brazilian health authorities believe her condition is related to the Zika virus that infected her mother during pregnancy

Elison, 10, nurses his two-month-old brother Jose Wesley, after he was born with microcephaly

Elison, 10, nurses his two-month-old brother Jose Wesley, after he was born with microcephaly

Scientists are unable to definitively prove the link between the condition and the Zika virus, but strongly suspect the mosquito-borne virus is responsible for the outbreak of the disorder in Brazil

Scientists are unable to definitively prove the link between the condition and the Zika virus, but strongly suspect the mosquito-borne virus is responsible for the outbreak of the disorder in Brazil

Angelica Pereira applys perfume to her daughter Luiza - who suffers from microcephaly - as her father Dejailson Arruda holds her at their house in Brazil

Angelica Pereira applys perfume to her daughter Luiza - who suffers from microcephaly - as her father Dejailson Arruda holds her at their house in Brazil

Discovered in Africa in 1947, scientists remain clueless as to how the terrifying virus has struck the Americas so quickly since its first known case last year.

Brazil's Ministry of Health said the number suspected cases of microcephaly increased to 3,893 by January 16 from 3,530 cases 10 days earlier.

The number of reported deaths of deformed babies rose to 49, ministry officials said at a news conference.

So far, health authorities have only confirmed six cases of microcephaly where the infant was infected with the mosquito-born Zika virus.

But on Tuesday, Brazilian researchers took another step towards proving Zika causes microcephaly. 

The Fiocruz biomedical center in Curitiba announced it had found Zika in the placenta of a woman who had a miscarriage, proving the virus can reach the foetus.

Until now, researchers had only found Zika in the amniotic fluid of two pregnant women.

A pregnant woman waits to be attended to at the Maternal and Children's Hospital in Tegucigalpa in Honduras. Women in the country have been told to avoid getting pregnant for the time being because of the Zika virus

A pregnant woman waits to be attended to at the Maternal and Children's Hospital in Tegucigalpa in Honduras. Women in the country have been told to avoid getting pregnant for the time being because of the Zika virus

'This is a significant advance, but we still cannot scientifically state that Zika is the cause of microcephaly,' said Jean Peron, an immunology expert who is experimenting on pregnant mice at the University of Sao Paulo's Institute of Biomedical Sciences.

The Zika virus is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is also known to carry the dengue, yellow fever and Chikungunya viruses.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel advisory last week warning pregnant women to avoid 14 countries and territories in the Caribbean and Latin America affected by the virus.

Last week, U.S. health authorities confirmed the birth of a baby with microcephaly in Hawaii to a mother who had been infected with the Zika virus while visiting Brazil last year.

In Colombia, which has the second highest Zika infection rate after Brazil, the government is advising women to delay becoming pregnant for six to eight months to avoid the risk.

ZIKA VIRUS: WHAT IS IT?

The Zika virus is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito (pictured), which is also known to carry yellow fever

The Zika virus is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito (pictured), which is also known to carry yellow fever

Zika virus is spread to people via mosquito bites.

The most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivtis.

Infected patients are typically ill for a few days to a week.

While the illness is generally mild, some experts in Brazil have suggested a possible link between the virus in pregnant women and subsequent birth defects.

The CDC said recently it is aware of reports of increased numbers of babies born with microcephaly, or smaller than expected head size, in Brazil.

The Ministry of Health in Brazil is concerned about a possible association between the Zika virus and increased numbers of babies born with microcephaly.

There is no vaccine to prevent, or medicine to treat Zika virus.

Travellers can protect themselves, by taking steps to prevent mosquito bites.

Source: CDC 

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