
Zika: Brazil admits it's not the virus - amree
http://bients.com/zika-brazil-admits-not-virus/
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dalke
The only reference for the "admission" is a link to
[http://www.nature.com/news/brazil-asks-whether-zika-acts-
alo...](http://www.nature.com/news/brazil-asks-whether-zika-acts-alone-to-
cause-birth-defects-1.20309) which is titled "Brazil asks whether Zika acts
alone to cause birth defects".

Nothing in the article justifies the title that it's not the virus.

The article says: "NECSI also suggested, “An alternative cause of microcephaly
in Brazil could be the pesticide pyriproxyfen, which is cross-reactive with
retinoic acid, which causes microcephaly, and is being used in drinking
water.”"

The Wikipedia page for Zika points out at
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zika_fever#Microcephaly_and_ot...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zika_fever#Microcephaly_and_other_infant_disorders)
: "In February 2016, rumors that microcephaly is caused by the use of the
larvicide pyriproxyfen in drinking water were refuted by
scientists.[120][121][122] "It's important to state that some localities that
do not use pyriproxyfen also had reported cases of microcephaly", read a
Brazilian government statement."

It says "12,000 Zika Cases Confirmed in Pregnant Colombian Women — Zero
Microcephaly Cases" but [http://www.nature.com/news/first-zika-linked-birth-
defects-d...](http://www.nature.com/news/first-zika-linked-birth-defects-
detected-in-colombia-1.19502) says "Researchers have diagnosed one newborn
with microcephaly ... All three tested positive for the presence of Zika
virus."

I do not trust the quality of this article.

