In:

The Lancet

In October, 2015, the Ministry of Health in Brazil reported an unexplained increase in cases of microcephaly, a congenital malformation normally associated with incomplete brain development, in newborn babies (4783 cases vs 150 in the previous year). The reported cases have caused widespread fear among pregnant women all over South and Central America, to the point that some nations such as Ecuador have recommended that their citizens postpone pregnancy to 2018, to give time to investigate the causes of the increase of microcephaly cases. In response to the growing concern
of the international community, on Feb 1, 2016, WHO declared the recent cluster of microcephaly cases and other neurological disorders reported in Brazil a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

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