Zika Microcephaly Update For Brazil

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Health Outbreak of microcephaly
 Zika virus Healthcare without Neura

28.03.2016 at 00:30
Experts explain increase in severe cases of microcephaly, 'Zika is thirsting for nervous system'
Calcification in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid accumulation in the skull have reached increasingly babies
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Brazil has already registered 907 cases of babies with microcephaly until March 19
Brazil has already registered 907 cases of babies with microcephaly until March 19
Eduardo Enomoto / R7
"OK, we care, will do what?". With a helpless sigh, Jaqueline Oliveira, 24, told R7 as it was dealing with the fact that his daughter Laura, just over three months, was born with microcephaly the São Paulo, the coastal city of Santos, is just one of the pictures that is the situation of hundreds of mothers in Brazil -. and, why not, of so many thousands who expect an accurate diagnosis of what affects the development of their children.

According to the latest bulletin of the Ministry of Health, Brazil recorded 907 confirmed cases of microcephaly until 19 March and investigates other 4,293 suspected cases. The increase in cases of the disease was so intense since May 2015 - the month in which it was discovered the first case of zika in Brazil - the anomaly is now considered an outbreak. According to Mantovani and Marilisia Mardjane Lemos experts before zika epidemic, microcephaly was a relatively rare disease. Today, every week, the number of confirmed cases increases.

Marilisia, a neurologist at the Brazilian Academy of Neurology, said that although the WHO (World Health Organization) have not confirmed the relationship of the disease with the new virus, it is undeniable:

- The cases of microcephaly May grew absurdly here, and are being detected, mostly in infants whose mothers were infected zika.

"The zika is thirsty by the nervous system." It was with this statement that the infectious disease Mardjane Lemos, coordinator of ambulatory Hélvio Hospital High Maceio - reference in cases of microcephaly related to the virus - began to tell as the frames of the disease began to worsen after the epidemic.

Despite the 2416 km separating Campinas (in São Paulo state) - where it operates Marilisia - and Maceió, city Mardjane, the experiences of both experts showed convergent and important point: when mothers take zika virus in the first trimester of pregnancy the chances of the baby being born with severe microcephaly frames are much higher. This is because the fetus is still in formation, so that the virus has a much more potent effect on their development.

According Marilisia, the most aggressive frame of the disease may have greater brain calcification, and increased cerebrospinal fluid in the skull. The expert explained that in normal children, this liquid is constantly released and reabsorbed by the brain, but with virus infection, this process ends up being stopped - and the cerebrospinal fluid builds up.

- It is because of this that many children are born with the size of the head in the pattern, but with the skull taken by cerebrospinal fluid, and most of the calcified brain. This anomaly is probably also caused by zika and can take the baby to death. We do not consider the hidranocefalia a type of microcephaly because the size of the head is not reduced; but it is, rather, one of the effects caused by infection of the neurological system.

WHO: vaccine zika virus can not get the fight outbreak

The increase in cases of high gravity also drew attention to conditions in which the symptoms are milder - which typically occur when the mother is infected zika already in the last months of pregnancy. In such cases, the baby does not show reduced brain perimeter or hidranocefalia, but still has a delay in development - manifested by blindness, hearing problems, difficulty getting around and epilepsy.

Therapies and ways to reduce the symptoms of the disease

How advanced it is medicine, there is no cure for microcephaly. According Marilisia, what you can do are therapies that help in the development of the child. However, according to her, the service that the NHS (National Health System) offers patients is currently insignificant.

- Children are years in line, waiting for these types of therapy. When we finally succeed, they are offered a poor and inadequate service. If it was just before the zika - when the number of cases was small - imagine what is not now.

Mardjane agrees with the position of Marilisia, adding that there must be a preparation of doctors before telling parents that they will have a baby with cerebral malformation.

- If the microcephaly is diagnosed during pregnancy by ultrasound examination, doctors must prepare parents. However, this usually does not occur because as the change in size of the head is not so apparent in the womb, these doctors are afraid to give an early diagnosis and make a mistake.

See what was discovered and what is not known about the virus zika

detected cases in Brazil

Although 745 cases have been confirmed by the Ministry of Health, the experts believe that the reported number is much lower than the actual number of cases in Brazil. According Marilisia, microcephaly not need compulsory notification before zika epidemic and therefore there are high chances of the number extrapolate released by Folder:

- The microcephaly never required mandatory reporting because it was [a disease] rare and not contagious. Thus, doctors did not need to report cases to government authorities, implying the absence of a national register for the disease.

The neurologist said that most cases began to be reported in December 2015, due to the attention that the media started to give to zika epidemic and the relationship with the disease.

- The records are beginning to be made now, so there are probably more cases of microcephaly than what is being reported. In 33 years of practice, already I followed thousands of patients, and none of them was never notified.

Dissatisfaction of experts on the measures taken by the public health is great. When asked about the possibility of the country deal with this new crisis - which is far from over - both agreed spontaneously:

- Brazil is not prepared.

Other side

Sought by R7, the press office of the Ministry of Health said that the recommendation given to health departments is that are recorded and passed on all cases of microcephaly.

Regarding to stimulation therapy services to the development of children with malformation, the Pulp announced that there are now, throughout Brazil, 1,544 rehabilitation services, which make early stimulation of children between zero and three years.

Moreover, it was stated that 11 centers are in the process of construction and should be completed by the end of this semester. According to the Ministry of Health, to fund these services are annually invested R $ 650 million.

* Collaborated: Talyta Vespa, the R7 intern

http://linkis.com/noticias.r7.com/saud/c7Uq6