Brazil Is Reporting Fewer And Fewer Zika Related Illnesses
Brazil Is Reporting Fewer And Fewer Zika Related Illnesses
Many of you reading this probably never thought that it would happen, but Brazil has officially ended their national state of emergency status. Based on the news reports that circulate in America, Brazil was easily the country that was hardest hit by the Zika virus. Brazil’s citizens must have taken preventative measures seriously because the country has reported a ninety five percent drop in Zika cases between the months of January and April, compared to the same span of time one year ago. The Zika threat in Brazil was at its peak immediately before the Olympics. The World Health Organization labeled Brazil as being the source of an “international emergency,” but the WHO removed this distinction last November. Zika has been linked to birth defects in thirty countries.
According to the head of the World Health Organizations Emergency Committee, David Heymann, Zika is no longer much of an issue in Brazil because the virus infected so many Brazilians that the general population developed immunity to the virus. Now, even though the virus wants to circulate among the public, there are too many people who are taking the proper preventative measures. Therefore, the virus cannot find enough people to infect. However, Heymann also makes it clear that this immunity may not last forever since the population in Brazil is bound to change constitution. There will be more and more outsiders vacationing in Brazil, and many people may move to Brazil permanently. If this population change were to occur in Brazil, the large-scale immunity would likely end.
During November of 2015, health officials in Brazil officially declared Brazil to be in a state of emergency. From that point on, the vast majority of Brazil’s population took measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Last year, between January and April, more than one hundred and seventy thousand people became infected with Zika in Brazil. However, during those months in Brazil this year, only seven thousand nine hundred Zika cases were reported. Things are looking up down south.
Have you personally taken any measure to prevent the spread of Zika?