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14/04/2016

Experts Confirms Zika Virus Causes Birth Defects

The US Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) has confirmed that Zika virus does cause birth defects.

In a statement, the organisation said that following a "careful review of existing evidence", Zika virus is a cause of microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects.

Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., director of the CDC, said: "This study marks a turning point in the Zika outbreak. It is now clear that the virus causes microcephaly.

"We are also launching further studies to determine whether children who have microcephaly born to mothers infected by the Zika virus is the tip of the iceberg of what we could see in damaging effects on the brain and other developmental problems.

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"We've now confirmed what mounting evidence has suggested, affirming our early guidance to pregnant women and their partners to take steps to avoid Zika infection and to health care professionals who are talking to patients every day. We are working to do everything possible to protect the American public."

In the report, scientists stressed that there is no single piece of evidence that provides 'conclusive proof' that Zika virus infection is a cause of microcephaly and other fetal brain defects, but that there is increasing evidence from a number of recently published studies and an evaluation using established scientific criteria which supports the authors' conclusions.

Therefore, the discovery that Zika virus infection can cause fetal brain defects means that a woman who is infected with Zika during pregnancy has an increased risk of having a baby with these health problems. It does not mean that all women who have Zika virus infection during pregnancy will have babies with problems.

The report has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

(JP/LM)

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"The US Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) has confirmed that Zika virus does cause birth defects."