Brazil: Zika-infected babies on the rise in southeast Brazil

Health professionals and researchers have been examining and closely following the growing trend of babies born with the rare condition microcephaly in the south-eastern regions of Brazil as shown by footage shot in Petrolina on Thursday. Mothers of babies born with the condition could be seen carrying their toddlers into the doctor's office at the Dom Malam hospital in Petrolina in state of Pernambuco.
One of the mothers arriving at the health institution, Ducicleide Fernandes, said that she felt very sad upon receiving the news of her baby being born with microcephaly, and that she "hope[s] God helps not to be too bad."
Another mother, Talita Martins, said she is worried. Martins also said that they follow closely for updates on the television, but the constant influx of updates makes them not "really know what is going on, where is all this coming from."
The Zika virus is a disease transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is also responsible for the transmission of chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever. At present, there is no vaccine or medication to treat Zika. The only way to prevent catching it is by avoiding the Aedes mosquitoes that transmit the infection. The virus has spread across more than 20 countries, mostly in the Americas. Brazil has reported as many as 4,000 cases since October.