Zika Could Be Even Worse for Babies Than We Thought

China reports 1st case of the virus
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 10, 2016 4:46 AM CST
For Babies, Zika Could Be Even Worse Than Thought
A health worker fumigates to prevent dengue, chikungunya, and Zika virus at a cemetery on the outskirts of Lima, Peru, on Tuesday.   (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

New research has made the dizzyingly fast spread of the Zika virus even scarier for expectant parents. Brazilian doctors say that in addition to abnormally small heads, some babies born to infected mothers appear to have eye defects that could seriously affect their vision, NBC News reports. The eye trouble will be on top of vision problems resulting from the brain damage caused by the microcephaly itself, according to researchers, who are still exploring the link between the mosquito-borne virus and a surge in birth defects in Brazil. In another worrying development, China has reported its first case of Zika, which was found in a man who had traveled to Venezuela, the AP reports. (US athletes worried about the virus have been told they can skip the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.)

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