Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
We thought we had got control of Zika... now we fear it’s returned
virus epicentre in 2015. The mosquitoborne disease spread to more than 20 countries in the Americas and was declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization.
The biggest concern was its impact on babies developing in the womb, and the surge in microcephaly.
The three new cases in Apipucos – a girl and two boys who are all just weeks old – are the first all year and the only cluster since the virus died down in 2016.
Pregnant women are still advised not to travel to countries where there is a risk of Zika and couples who have visited them are advised not to conceive for at least six months.
During the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s recent tour, pregnant Meghan wore repellant while in Fiji and Tonga, where Zika had been detected.
Dr Ventura is a resident at Recife’s Altino Ventura Foundation, which treats most of Brazil’s infected kids.
“For so long through education and the use of repellant we had managed to gain somewhat of control of Zika,” she said. “We have not had one case all year and very few in the last few.”
The Brazilian government authorised hundreds of millions of pounds to states to fight Zika in 2015 but much of the money was misused.
The foundation relies on a grant from the US to fund its work into Zika, which will end in 2022.
America ploughed millions of dollars into research fearing the epidemic could reach its shores.
Dr Ventura’s team was chosen because Recife experienced the effects first and in the greatest numbers.
Around 175 children and their families are being cared for by the Foundation’s Us-backed Semear Programme.
Graziella Tavares’ mother, Inabela, brings the three-yearold for physiotherapy and eye treatment twice a week.
Children with microcephaly are born almost blind – although they can see bright colours as a blur.
Physiotherapist Lissa Wanderley works with the children, many of whom still struggle to lift their heads and unclench their fingers.
“In children with microcephaly, it is very difficult for them to pick things up as able-bodied take for granted,” says Lissa. “We work with them to try and loosen the muscles, so they have some use of their hands.
“It is a long journey they face but we are committed to helping each and everyone as best we can.”
Families wealthy enough to afford hydrotherapy have seen considerable improvements but the foundation cannot afford a pool. Locals have called their abandonment by their politicians a “disgrace” accusing them of lining their own pockets from the money intended for the children.
After a day in Apipucos, it is clear to see why Zika spread.
Broken sewers and humidity after heavy rain provides the perfect conditions for mosquitoes to thrive.
A lake’s warm, rubbish-filled waters create a perfect breeding grounds for the insects, which only need 48 hours to reproduce.
Locals say they have seen more than usual recently but many cannot afford repellant.
Daniele’s abandonment by her husband is common among men who father babies suffering microcephaly.
Many mothers who find themselves giving around-theclock care to a child who may never walk or talk are struggling to get by on a monthly disability payment of just over 954 reais (roughly £190).
At the foundation, we saw dozens of women comforting each other.
Many confessed to despair