microcephaly

With CDC Help, Puerto Rico Aims To Get Ahead Of Zika

6:55pm February 26, 2016

So far, the U.S. territory has reported 117 Zika cases, including five pregnant women. But health officials say the real test will come when April and May rains bring more mosquitoes.

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Scientists say they still have a lot to learn about Zika before they'll have a vaccine ready for people.

Why Scientists Hope To Inject Some People With Zika Virus

6:55pm February 25, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

There's no vaccine yet, but Zika researchers are racing to find a good candidate. After testing it in animals, checking for effectiveness in humans might include injecting Zika into healthy people.

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Marcia Andrade, an agent from Brazil's Ministry of Health, interviews Camila Alves, 22. A friend holds Alves' 2-month-old daughter.

Disease Detectives In Brazil Go Door-To-Door To Solve Zika Mystery

2:14pm February 25, 2016

by Rob Stein

A team of health experts is tracking down mothers who had babies with microcephaly to try to prove or debunk the link to Zika virus.

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Protected from bites by a mosquito net, this pregnant woman, in her second trimester, came into the hospital in Cucuta, Colombia, with symptoms of Zika. A blood test is being run to find out if she has the virus.

All Eyes Are On Colombia: Will Zika Trigger A Spike In Microcephaly?

6:23pm February 24, 2016

Researchers say Colombia offers a chance to learn more about Zika's possible link to microcephaly. If the country sees a sudden rise in cases as Brazil did, that's stronger evidence of a connection.

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Two More U.S. Cases Of Zika Virus Likely Shared Via Sex

8:55pm February 23, 2016

by Rae Ellen Bichell

U.S. health officials say they have confirmed the two women had Zika. And their only risk factor was having slept with male partners who had recently traveled to places with active virus transmission.

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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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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The man in the T-shirt is Paolo Sandoval, 42. His wife (seated, far right, in a white shirt) is Jessica Vivana Torres, 30. She's 15 weeks pregnant with their first child and came down with Zika three weeks ago. "I'm really worried about brain damage in th

With Zika Looming, What's It Like At A Maternity Clinic In Colombia?

6:34pm February 16, 2016

More than 5,000 pregnant women appear to have fallen sick with the virus. But there are no good tests for the birth defect possibly linked to this disease.

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Chart: Use Of Contraceptives And Abortion Laws In Countries Affected By Zika

Health & Safety

Chart: Access To Contraception And Abortion In Zika-Affected Countries

1:52pm February 11, 2016

by Marc Silver

The possibility that the Zika virus is linked to the birth defect microcephaly has sparked a public debate about women's reproductive rights in Latin America.

Scott Weaver, of the University of Texas Medical Branch, was one of only a few scientists studying Zika before the latest outbreak in Latin America.

Virus Profilers Race To Figure Out What Makes Zika Tick

3:14pm February 10, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Though Zika was discovered in 1947, few scientists since had studied the virus. Now, while some check its genes, others turn to placental cells for clues to any link between Zika and birth defects.

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