Is Microcephaly in Children Caused by the Zika Virus or by Pesticides?
At the end of October 2015, the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, located in the northeast of the country, started reporting a dramatic increase in the number of babies born with microcephaly, a condition characterized by a shrunken head and brain. The cases in Pernambuco were soon followed by similar ones in the nearby states of Bahia and Paraiba.
The cases of microcephaly seemed to be connected to an outbreak of the Zika virus, first recognized in Uganda in the 1940s. Zika is transmitted by Aedes aegypti, a species of mosquito that thrives in stagnant water pools. In the same way as malaria, dengue, and Chikungunya, the Zika virus infection results in similar symptoms: fever, joint pain, and rashes.
Thus, ominously, parallel to the increased number of pregnant women infected with the Zika virus there was an increase of microcephaly cases in their children. Because CT scans of those babies' brains showed signs of calcification usually associated with an infectious disease rather than a genetic abnormality, many experts thought that their microcephaly was caused by the Zika virus.
Also, while in 2014 there were 150 reported cases of microcephaly across all of Brazil, 3,893 cases of microcephaly were reported in 2015, with Pernambuco accounting for almost a third of the total number of cases. It seemed clear that the Zika virus was causing the babies' microcephaly.
However, Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested caution. "Although a causal link between Zika infection in pregnancy and microcephaly has not, and I must emphasize, has not been established, the circumstantial evidence is suggestive and extremely worrisome," she said. Dr. Chan's opinion was echoed by Dr. Patricia Pestana Garcez, a neurodevelopment expert who studies microcephaly at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil who said, "There is no direct evidence that the virus causes microcephaly." However, she added that circumstantial evidence was strong enough to advise everybody not to take chances.
At the same time that the role of the Zika virus in the production of microcephaly in children was being studied, some environmental activists called attention to the role of pesticides as the possible cause of this abnormality in children.
Many experts and environmental activists alerted on how some agricultural chemicals--such as paraquat, classified as "highly poisonous" by U.S. regulators--which have been banned or phased out in leading industrialized nations, continue being extensively used in many developing countries, notably Brazil. They are used primarily in Brazil's northeast, where almost a third of cases of microcephaly have occurred so far.
In the last few years, Brazil has become one of the top exporters of orange juice, sugar, coffee, beef, poultry and soybeans. Brazil's massive production of those items is probably due, in part, to the extensive use of pesticides, many of them highly toxic to humans.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at the global level, there are over three million cases of pesticide poisoning each year and more than 220,000 deaths, mostly in developing countries.
Exposure to some pesticides can cause a wide range of health problems such as memory loss, loss of coordination, behavioral effects and reduced motor skills. In addition, they may cause asthma, allergies, cancer, hormone disruption, and problems with reproduction and fetal development, such as microcephaly. Children are at greater risk of pesticide exposure because of their small size and their immune system is not fully developed.
Given these toxic effects of pesticides and that they are more heavily used in Brazil's north-east region, it is not unreasonable to think that, at least in some cases, microcephaly may be due to excessive use of toxic pesticides and that these effects have been unmasked by the Zika virus infection. It is also possible to think that microcephaly in children may have a multi-causal origin.
This situation poses the need to urgently investigate more thoroughly the effects of both the Zika virus and pesticides in causing microcephaly in children, and for the public health authorities of the countries most threatened by this virus to coordinate actions for the more effective control of the epidemic.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
At the end of October 2015, the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, located in the northeast of the country, started reporting a dramatic increase in the number of babies born with microcephaly, a condition characterized by a shrunken head and brain. The cases in Pernambuco were soon followed by similar ones in the nearby states of Bahia and Paraiba.
The cases of microcephaly seemed to be connected to an outbreak of the Zika virus, first recognized in Uganda in the 1940s. Zika is transmitted by Aedes aegypti, a species of mosquito that thrives in stagnant water pools. In the same way as malaria, dengue, and Chikungunya, the Zika virus infection results in similar symptoms: fever, joint pain, and rashes.
Thus, ominously, parallel to the increased number of pregnant women infected with the Zika virus there was an increase of microcephaly cases in their children. Because CT scans of those babies' brains showed signs of calcification usually associated with an infectious disease rather than a genetic abnormality, many experts thought that their microcephaly was caused by the Zika virus.
Also, while in 2014 there were 150 reported cases of microcephaly across all of Brazil, 3,893 cases of microcephaly were reported in 2015, with Pernambuco accounting for almost a third of the total number of cases. It seemed clear that the Zika virus was causing the babies' microcephaly.
However, Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested caution. "Although a causal link between Zika infection in pregnancy and microcephaly has not, and I must emphasize, has not been established, the circumstantial evidence is suggestive and extremely worrisome," she said. Dr. Chan's opinion was echoed by Dr. Patricia Pestana Garcez, a neurodevelopment expert who studies microcephaly at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil who said, "There is no direct evidence that the virus causes microcephaly." However, she added that circumstantial evidence was strong enough to advise everybody not to take chances.
At the same time that the role of the Zika virus in the production of microcephaly in children was being studied, some environmental activists called attention to the role of pesticides as the possible cause of this abnormality in children.
Many experts and environmental activists alerted on how some agricultural chemicals--such as paraquat, classified as "highly poisonous" by U.S. regulators--which have been banned or phased out in leading industrialized nations, continue being extensively used in many developing countries, notably Brazil. They are used primarily in Brazil's northeast, where almost a third of cases of microcephaly have occurred so far.
In the last few years, Brazil has become one of the top exporters of orange juice, sugar, coffee, beef, poultry and soybeans. Brazil's massive production of those items is probably due, in part, to the extensive use of pesticides, many of them highly toxic to humans.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at the global level, there are over three million cases of pesticide poisoning each year and more than 220,000 deaths, mostly in developing countries.
Exposure to some pesticides can cause a wide range of health problems such as memory loss, loss of coordination, behavioral effects and reduced motor skills. In addition, they may cause asthma, allergies, cancer, hormone disruption, and problems with reproduction and fetal development, such as microcephaly. Children are at greater risk of pesticide exposure because of their small size and their immune system is not fully developed.
Given these toxic effects of pesticides and that they are more heavily used in Brazil's north-east region, it is not unreasonable to think that, at least in some cases, microcephaly may be due to excessive use of toxic pesticides and that these effects have been unmasked by the Zika virus infection. It is also possible to think that microcephaly in children may have a multi-causal origin.
This situation poses the need to urgently investigate more thoroughly the effects of both the Zika virus and pesticides in causing microcephaly in children, and for the public health authorities of the countries most threatened by this virus to coordinate actions for the more effective control of the epidemic.
At the end of October 2015, the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, located in the northeast of the country, started reporting a dramatic increase in the number of babies born with microcephaly, a condition characterized by a shrunken head and brain. The cases in Pernambuco were soon followed by similar ones in the nearby states of Bahia and Paraiba.
The cases of microcephaly seemed to be connected to an outbreak of the Zika virus, first recognized in Uganda in the 1940s. Zika is transmitted by Aedes aegypti, a species of mosquito that thrives in stagnant water pools. In the same way as malaria, dengue, and Chikungunya, the Zika virus infection results in similar symptoms: fever, joint pain, and rashes.
Thus, ominously, parallel to the increased number of pregnant women infected with the Zika virus there was an increase of microcephaly cases in their children. Because CT scans of those babies' brains showed signs of calcification usually associated with an infectious disease rather than a genetic abnormality, many experts thought that their microcephaly was caused by the Zika virus.
Also, while in 2014 there were 150 reported cases of microcephaly across all of Brazil, 3,893 cases of microcephaly were reported in 2015, with Pernambuco accounting for almost a third of the total number of cases. It seemed clear that the Zika virus was causing the babies' microcephaly.
However, Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested caution. "Although a causal link between Zika infection in pregnancy and microcephaly has not, and I must emphasize, has not been established, the circumstantial evidence is suggestive and extremely worrisome," she said. Dr. Chan's opinion was echoed by Dr. Patricia Pestana Garcez, a neurodevelopment expert who studies microcephaly at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil who said, "There is no direct evidence that the virus causes microcephaly." However, she added that circumstantial evidence was strong enough to advise everybody not to take chances.
At the same time that the role of the Zika virus in the production of microcephaly in children was being studied, some environmental activists called attention to the role of pesticides as the possible cause of this abnormality in children.
Many experts and environmental activists alerted on how some agricultural chemicals--such as paraquat, classified as "highly poisonous" by U.S. regulators--which have been banned or phased out in leading industrialized nations, continue being extensively used in many developing countries, notably Brazil. They are used primarily in Brazil's northeast, where almost a third of cases of microcephaly have occurred so far.
In the last few years, Brazil has become one of the top exporters of orange juice, sugar, coffee, beef, poultry and soybeans. Brazil's massive production of those items is probably due, in part, to the extensive use of pesticides, many of them highly toxic to humans.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at the global level, there are over three million cases of pesticide poisoning each year and more than 220,000 deaths, mostly in developing countries.
Exposure to some pesticides can cause a wide range of health problems such as memory loss, loss of coordination, behavioral effects and reduced motor skills. In addition, they may cause asthma, allergies, cancer, hormone disruption, and problems with reproduction and fetal development, such as microcephaly. Children are at greater risk of pesticide exposure because of their small size and their immune system is not fully developed.
Given these toxic effects of pesticides and that they are more heavily used in Brazil's north-east region, it is not unreasonable to think that, at least in some cases, microcephaly may be due to excessive use of toxic pesticides and that these effects have been unmasked by the Zika virus infection. It is also possible to think that microcephaly in children may have a multi-causal origin.
This situation poses the need to urgently investigate more thoroughly the effects of both the Zika virus and pesticides in causing microcephaly in children, and for the public health authorities of the countries most threatened by this virus to coordinate actions for the more effective control of the epidemic.