Latin America

Mylene Helena Ferraira of Recife, Brazil, carries her 5-month-old son, David Henrique Ferreira, who was born with microcephaly. She's returning home after a medical visit.

CDC Arrives In Brazil To Investigate Zika Outbreak

6:33pm February 22, 2016

by Rob Stein

U.S. disease detectives are launching a research project that health authorities hope will produce the most definitive evidence yet about whether the virus is really causing birth defects.

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CDC Arrives In Brazil To Investigate Spread Of Zika Virus

4:24pm February 22, 2016

by Rob Stein

Disease detectives from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention begin their crucial effort on the ground in Brazil to firmly establish whether the Zika virus is really causing terrible birth defects.

Johann Castro Hernandez, 18, is recovering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome after he appeared to have fallen sick with Zika virus around New Year's. His mom, Janina Hernandez, is at right.

Colombian Clinic Probes A Mystery: Is Zika Triggering A Rare Disorder?

12:44am February 22, 2016

by Nurith Aizenman

Since the fall, Colombia has seen about 100 cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Most of the patients reported they'd had Zika virus. Researchers are trying to figure out what's going on.

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Pope Francis Condones Contraception With Zika Virus Threat

12:47pm February 20, 2016

Pope Francis turned heads this week with statements on birth control and same-sex marriage that seemed at odds with Church doctrine. Then he waded into a spat with Donald Trump.

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Health & Safety

Zika Spike Overwhelms Colombia Doctors

8:25am February 20, 2016

The spread of Zika is taxing Colombia's already over-burdened health care system.

Health & Safety

Would It Be A Bad Thing to Wipe Out A Species ... If It's A Mosquito?

6:50am February 20, 2016

by Malaka Gharib

Should we get rid of the Zika-spreading Aedes aegypti species? Or is it just never a good idea to eradicate a critter?

Born in December, Valentina Vitoria has microcephaly, the birth defect that causes an abnormally small head and can cause brain damage as well. Her mother is 32-year-old Fabiane Lopes.

Health & Safety

Moms And Infants Are Abandoned In Brazil Amid Surge In Microcephaly

8:40am February 19, 2016

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

There have been several cases of abandoned babies already — at least three in Rio. And a psychologist believes that some men will walk out on their partner if a newborn has the birth defect.

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Obama To Make Historic Visit To Cuba Next Month

10:19pm February 18, 2016

by Scott Horsley

President Obama plans to travel to Cuba next month, capping a historic diplomatic thaw after decades of official isolation.

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Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are seen in a lab at the Fiocruz institute in the Brazilian city of Recife.

Did A Pesticide Cause Microcephaly In Brazil? Unlikely, Say Experts

8:03pm February 18, 2016

by Rae Ellen Bichell

A report from doctors in Argentina raises the possibility that a mosquito pesticide could be responsible for an increase in microcephaly in Brazil. But many top scientists strongly disagree.

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Pope Francis Justifies Contraception In Regions Affected By Zika Virus

7:20pm February 18, 2016

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with the Nicole Winfield of the Associated Press about the pope's justification for use of contraception in regions affected by the Zika virus.

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