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Feature Infectious Diseases

Convicting Zika

BMJ 2016; 353 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.i1847 (Published 07 April 2016) Cite this as: BMJ 2016;353:i1847

Brazilian Portugese translation

A condenação do Zika

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Re: Convicting Zika

Convicting Zika – Peter Doshi

Peter Doshi, writes,”More than a century ago in 1854, John Snow, the “father” of epidemiology, had the Broad Street pump handle removed to protect citizens from cholera, long before Vibrio cholerae became widely accepted as the causal agent.”

In a way, much the same happened with microcephaly in Brazil: the government stopped vaccination of pregnant mothers and there are no new cases of microcephaly.

The parallel stops here: Vibrio cholerae was the cause of cholera, Zika virus is obviously not the cause of microcephaly. Vaccination of pregnant mothers obviously is.

Competing interests: No competing interests

13 April 2016
Dr Viera Scheibner (PhD)
scientist/author retired
n/a
Blackheath NSW Australia

Re: Convicting Zika

Bravo! A well-written piece describing exactly the issues many of us have seen with the situation in Brazil. I have a study up at WHO where I show that there ought to have been 2,725 existing cases of microcephaly from congenital toxoplasmosis and congenital cytomegalovirus in 2015 in Brazil. http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.16.171223

The rush to blame Zika viral illnesses for every unusual medical condition now being discovered is understandable on the part of the Brazilians. The situation highlights the disparity in medical care between the vast numbers living in favelas and the lucky few with access to first-rate medical care. The list of conditions and diseases rampant in Brazil that can result in microcephaly or GBS is long, but that burden has been borne in large measure by the poor.

The rush by WHO and the CDC to blame Zika is less understandable. It appears to be an overreaction to the criticism they received over the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

Colombia seems to be organized to provide good data about Zika. The next few weeks should result in some real clarity about what this viral illness can and cannot do.

Competing interests: No competing interests

11 April 2016
Charles H Simmins, Jr
freelance writer
none
200 Meadow Cir., Rochester, NY 14609 USA
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