Zika virus confirmed as causing brain defects at birth

Los Angeles Times : This week the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that the mosquito-borne Zika virus is responsible for the massive outbreak of microcephaly in Brazil. According to a detailed study published in the British Medical Journal, virtually all the infants involved in the study, who were born to mothers infected with the Zika virus, showed signs of some form of brain damage. The hallmarks of Zika damage include an abnormally small head, the absence of folds on the surface of the cerebral cortex, and the presence of calcifications, or damaging lesions, in the frontal lobes. Those abnormalities can cause developmental problems and may also affect vision and hearing. Although not all infants born to infected mothers will be affected, their risk is much greater. Therefore, pregnant women who live or travel in areas where Zika is prevalent are being urged to take precautions, including to protect themselves from being bitten by mosquitoes.