Ministry of Health confirms 30 new cases of microcephaly.
According to a report released by the Ministry of Health this Wednesday, June 15th, a total of 1.581 cases have been registered from October of last year until June 11th; another 3.047 babies suspected of having malformations have not yet had their tests completed for a precise diagnosis.
Aline Leal, from Agência Brasil - Last week, the Ministry of Health confirmed the diagnosis of microcephaly and other nervous system abnormalities in 30 babies, all suggestive of being caused by congenital infection. In total, there are now 1.581 registered cases from October of last year until June 11th. Another 3.047 babies suspected of having malformations have not yet had their tests completed for a precise diagnosis.
Of the total confirmed cases, 226 had laboratory tests proving they were caused by the Zika virus. However, according to the Ministry of Health, this number does not reflect reality. The Ministry maintains that most confirmed cases were caused by the Zika virus, but due to difficulties in diagnosing the disease, this was not confirmed in the laboratory.
The new bulletin recorded 3.308 cases that were ruled out because they presented normal test results, microcephaly, malformations confirmed to be caused by non-infectious causes, or did not fit the case definition.
The 1.581 confirmed cases across Brazil occurred in 562 municipalities, located in 25 states and the Federal District. The majority of cases (1.394) were registered in the Northeast region.