Brazil marks end of Zika virus outbreak health emergency
A significant fall in the number of new cases of Zika in the first four months of 2017 has led Brazil to declare an end to the health emergency. There are still concerns of what may happen in the US. The number of babies born with microcephaly, a birth defect in which the baby's head and brain do not develop properly, has been falling since the start of the year in Brazil. Between January and April there were 7,911 new cases of Zika reported in the South American country compared to 170,000 cases for the same period in 2016. The yellow fever mosquito aedes aegypti (photo) is responsible for the transmission of the virus. Brazilian health ministry official Adeilson Cavalcante said "the end of the emergency does not signify the end of being vigilant and providing assistance." There will be ongoing measures to reduce the number of the mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus as well as dengue and chikunguny
