The consequences of the zika virus pandemic 8 years later – 04/23/2023 – Marcia Castro

In early 2015, an outbreak of zika virus was reported in the Northeast region and in October an unusual increase in cases of microcephaly was observed. Microcephaly was just one of many pregnancy complications related to the Zika virus, referred to as SCZ (congenital syndrome associated with Zika virus infection).

A state of health emergency declared by the Ministry of Health in November 2015 was lifted on May 11, 2017. If news and attention to the Zika virus declined after the end of the emergency, the consequences of the epidemic and the needs of families with children born with SCZ only increased.

Between 2015 and 2022, the total number of confirmed cases of SCZ in Brazil was 1,857, 76% of these in the Northeast region and 94% occurred in the first two years of the epidemic, 2015 and 2016. Another 3,187 suspected cases of SCZ remain under investigation.

Children born with SCZ have a range of problems, including central nervous system impairment, neurological damage and developmental delays. Many had feeding difficulties at various levels, including breastfeeding.

In 2022, a study showed that the mortality rates of children with SCZ up to three years of age were 11.3 times higher than those without SCZ. Another analysis showed that, of the deaths of children with SCZ between 2015 and 2018, 81.9% occurred before one year of age and about half of the deaths of children under one year of age occurred in the first 28 days of life. The main causes of death were multiple congenital malformations and septicemia.

The follow-up protocol for SCZ cases requires early stimulation in the first years of life and constant care by a multidisciplinary team, in addition to permanent care by the caregiver (the mother, in most cases).

However, the availability and difficulty of accessing services is still a challenge for many families. Depression, anxiety, mental distress and fatigue at different levels have been reported among mothers of children born with SCZ.

During the pandemic, these difficulties were aggravated due to the suspension of treatment and restrictions on movement during periods of physical distancing. There is evidence that this interruption contributed to losses in motor function and joint mobility in children with SCZ. In addition, the overload of domestic activities, the change in routine, the loss of household income during the pandemic and the fear of Covid-19 also aggravated the mental health of mothers.

Law 13.985/2020 instituted a special monthly, lifetime and non-transferable pension, in the amount of one minimum wage, to be paid to children with SCZ, born between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019 and who were already beneficiaries of the BPC (Continued Provision Benefit). Even though after 2019 there are only 15 confirmed cases of SCZ, these children also need constant care.

The Zika virus, transmitted by aedes aegypti, the same vector of dengue and chikungunya, continues to circulate. In 2022, Belize recorded 568.7 cases of Zika virus per 100,000 inhabitants, the highest rate in the Americas. In Brazil, by the end of November 2022, 9,204 cases of zika were diagnosed (4.3 per 100,000 inhabitants), 41% in Rio Grande do Norte.

Without drastic changes in the infrastructure conditions of cities and in vector control, it is possible that a new Zika virus epidemic will occur in a few years, which would certainly result in more cases of CZS.

Public health emergencies and their consequences disproportionately affect the most vulnerable. Eight years and a pandemic later, the demand for integrated care for children born with CZS is even greater.

PRESENT LINK: Did you like this text? Subscriber can release five free hits of any link per day. Just click the blue F below.