6. The Link Between The Zika Virus And Microcephaly Became Clear In 2015
For years, scientists had been arguing that zika was a cause of microcephaly. However, thanks to the fact there were no or few zika outbreaks worldwide, this was never confirmed – until 2015. The large zika outbreak in Brazil led to a sudden increase in babies born with this illness, and a public health emergency was declared.
By October 2015, 14 states in Brazil had reported local transmission of the virus. It is mainly spread through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which also spreads dengue and other tropical diseases. If you’re now thinking that scientists are looking for a link between prior dengue and microcephaly, you’d be correct. Pernambuco in north-east Brazil was where most zika cases were occurring; it was also where the highest incidence of microcephaly was recorded. The WHO subsequently added zika to its list of causes and preliminary results of clinical research ‘officially’ confirmed this.