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Link between Zika and birth defects established

A mother and her daughter, with microcephaly, in Brazil (AAP)

A mother and her daughter, with microcephaly, in Brazil (AAP) Source: AAP

Health officials in the United States say there is now enough evidence to conclude contracting the Zika virus while pregnant can cause severe birth defects, including microcephaly. Zika is at its worst in Brazil, where hundreds of babies have microcephaly, a syndrome where children are born with unusually small heads. The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have concluded there is a causal link, but also warns there are many unanswered questions.


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By Greg Dyett, Marijana Buljan

Source: SBS



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Health officials in the United States say there is now enough evidence to conclude contracting the Zika virus while pregnant can cause severe birth defects, including microcephaly. Zika is at its worst in Brazil, where hundreds of babies have microcephaly, a syndrome where children are born with unusually small heads. The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have concluded there is a causal link, but also warns there are many unanswered questions.



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