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    Why Didn't Zika Cause A Surge In Microcephaly In 2016?

    Scientists predicted that more than 1,000 babies would be born with the birth defect in Brazil last year. That never happened. Why?
    by Michaeleen Doucleff Mar 30, 2017 3 minutes
    A family member holds twins Eloisa (left) and Eloa, both 8 months old and born with microcephaly, during a Christmas gathering. The mother of the twins, Raquel, who lives in Brazil, said she contracted Zika during her pregnancy.

    Back in 2015, Brazil reported a horrific a surge in birth defects. Thousands of babies were born with brain damage and abnormally small heads, a condition called microcephaly.

    Scientists quickly concluded the Zika virus was the culprit. So when Zika returned last year during Brazil's summer months of December, January and February — when mosquitoes are most active — health officials expected another surge in microcephaly cases.

    But that never happened.

    "We apparently saw a lot of the World Health Organization.

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