Thursday, February 11, 2016

CDC Confirms: Dead Infants with Microcephaly Contracted Zika



CDC Confirms: Dead Infants with Microcephaly Contracted Zika
by Mary Chastain 10 Feb 2016
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced that doctors had confirmed the presence of Zika virus in the tissue of infants who died from microcephaly, a rare birth defect.

“This is the strongest evidence to date that Zika is the cause of microcephaly,” explained CDC Director Tom Frieden. “Zika is new, and new diseases can be scary, particularly when they can affect the most vulnerable among us.”

Frieden stopped short of claiming Zika caused the microcephaly, a disorder in which the brain does not form properly during pregnancy or after birth and results in a small head. He said scientists need to perform more tests to confirm an actual link.

The CDC stated the disorder is typically uncommon. Following the Zika outbreak, however, Brazil has documented over 4,000 cases and is diagnosing an average of 200 cases a week. In 2015, the country tracked over 2,400 cases, compared to the 147 in 2014.

Doctors reported 404 cases of microcephaly in newborns since November. They tied seventeen “to the Zika virus.” Fifteen of the 404 passed away, “with five linked to Zika.” Authorities are investigating 56 other deaths and 3,670 cases.

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carry the disease. While primarily found in Africa, all but two nations in the Western Hemisphere have recorded populations of the mosquito species living there (Chile and Canada are the exceptions). They also carry dengue, yellow fever, and chikungunya. Doctors found Zika in one infant during an autopsy, and numerous mothers reported symptoms.

Brazil, El Salvador, and Colombia have advised women against getting pregnant.

“It’s a very personal decision, but at this moment of uncertainty, if families can put off their pregnancy plans, that’s what we’re recommending,” stated Angela Rocha, the pediatric infectologist at Oswaldo Cruz Hospital in Brazil.

Yale University School of Public Health Professor Albert Ko claims the cases of microcephaly in Brazil are just the start of concerns about birth defects linked to the Zika virus.

“It seems like microcephaly may just be the tip of the iceberg,” he stressed, adding:

The preliminary evidence is that [some] babies who don’t have microcephaly may also have neurological lesions or birth defects that are not as obvious as microcephaly. We’re really concerned because of Zika, but we need to rule out other causes of congenital infection to really make sure.

Microcephaly has received the most attention, but Ko found other problems with the infants.

“We’re seeing a spectrum. Many have fairly severe central nervous system lesions,” he explained. “There are also a lot of calcium deposits … Those can cause seizures and cause impairment in terms of function for the brain.”

He added, “We’re also seeing that in some babies, the brains, which usually have wrinkles, are actually smooth. That’s a sign that development of the brain has been impaired. Several of them are also impaired with respect to vision and hearing.”

Tom Frieden
Thomas R. Frieden is a director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the Barack Obama administration, and the U.S. representative for the World Health Organization (WHO).

Note: CDC Foundation is a foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Bloomberg Family Foundation was a funder for the CDC Foundation, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Aspen Institute (think tank).
Michael R. Bloomberg is the founder of the Bloomberg Family Foundation, was a donor for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone, and a donor for the Robin Hood Foundation.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was a funder for the World Health Organization (WHO), the Acumen Fund, and the Aspen Institute (think tank).
Jim Yong Kim was a director, HIV-AIDS department for the World Health Organization (WHO), and a guest at George Soros’s 2013 wedding.
George Soros was married in 2013 & Jim Yong Kim was his guest, a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone, the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, a benefactor for the Human Rights Watch, is Andrea Soros’s father, a director emeritus for Refugees International, and a board member for the International Crisis Group.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Harlem Children's Zone, the Robin Hood Foundation, the Millennium Promise, the Human Rights Watch, Refugees International, and the Aspen Institute (think tank).
Victoria B. Bjorklund was a director at the Robin Hood Foundation, and a U.S. advisory board member for Doctors Without Borders.
Larry Robbins is a director at the Robin Hood Foundation, and was married to Amy Robbins Towers.
Amy Robbins Towers was married to Larry Robbins, a director at the Millennium Promise, is a director at the Human Rights Watch, an advisory council member for the Acumen Fund, and a board member for the CDC Foundation.
Clifford M. Sobel was a director at the Millennium Promise, and a U.S. ambassador for Brazil.
Angelina Jolie was a director at the Millennium Promise, and is a co-founder for the Jolie/Pitt Foundation.
Jolie/Pitt Foundation was a funder for Doctors Without Borders.
Open Society Foundations was a funder for Doctors Without Borders, and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, Andrea Soros’s father, and a director emeritus for Refugees International.
Andrea Soros is George Soros’s daughter, and a director at the Acumen Fund.
Betty E. King was a director at Refugees International, and is a director at the CDC Foundation.
CDC Foundation is a foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Thomas R. Frieden is a director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the Barack Obama administration, and the U.S. representative for the World Health Organization (WHO).
Thomas R. Pickering is a co-chair for the International Crisis Group, was a
 U.S. ambassador for El Salvador, and a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).
Stephen L. Carter is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank), and a professor at Yale University.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank), the host of African American Lives, and was a professor at Yale University.
African American Lives was a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) program.
Robert H. Malott was a board member for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), and a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).
Bloomberg Family Foundation was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank), the CDC Foundation, and the World Health Organization (WHO).
CDC Foundation is a foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Thomas R. Frieden is a director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the Barack Obama administration, and the U.S. representative for the World Health Organization (WHO).

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