Zika: Brazil Admits Its Not the Virus

18th August 2016 By Dr. Joseph Mercola Guest writer for Wake Up World

Amidst growing fear-based propaganda warning of the threat of

Zika virus comes a quiet admission from health officials in Brazil:
Zika alone may not be responsible for the rise in birth defects that
plagued parts of the country.
While there is some evidence suggesting Zika virus may be linked to
the birth defect microcephaly, and the virus has been spreading
throughout Brazil, rates of the condition have only risen to very high
rates in the northeast section of Brazil. Since the virus has spread
throughout Brazil, but extremely high rates of microcephaly have
not, officials are now being forced to admit that something else is
likely at play.

Dr. Fatima Marinho, director of information and health analysis at

Brazils ministry of health, told the journal Nature, We suspect that
something more than Zika virus is causing the high intensity and
severity of cases.[1]

Nearly 90 Percent of Brazils Microcephaly Cases

Occurred in the Northeast
Since last November, more than 1,700 confirmed cases of congenital
microcephaly or other birth defects of the central nervous system
have been reported in Brazil.
When the cases first began and were reportedly linked to Zika virus,
health officials believed theyd see an explosion of birth defects
across Brazil, according to Marinho.[2] But that hasnt happened.
Data compiled by Marinho and colleagues, which has been
submitted for publication, suggest socio-economic factors may be
involved. Most of the women who gave birth to babies with
microcephaly were poor and lived in small cities or on the outskirts
of big cities.
In addition, the outbreak occurred in a largely poverty-stricken
agricultural area of Brazil that uses large amounts of banned
pesticides.
Between these factors and the lack of sanitation and widespread
vitamin A and zinc deficiency, you have the basic framework for an
increase in poor health outcomes among newborn infants in that
area.
Environmental pollution and toxic pesticide exposure have been
positively linked to a wide array of adverse health effects, including
birth defects. For instance:

Vitamin A deficiency has been linked to an increased risk of

microcephaly[3]
The CDC lists malnutrition and exposure to toxic chemicals as
known risk factors[4]
The CDC also notes certain infections during pregnancy,
including rubella, cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis and others,
are risk factors

Data is Lacking to Confirm Zika-Microcephaly Link

Its also been suggested that microcephaly may be the result of Zika
virus occurring alongside other infections, such as dengue and
chikungunya.
The Brazilian doctor who first reportedly established the link
between Zika virus and microcephaly is even considering whether
another disease, Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), may be
involved, as BVDV proteins were also detected in the brains of three
fetuses with microcephaly.
BVDV causes birth defects in cattle but is not known to infect
people. Researchers suggested that infection with Zika virus may
make it easier for BVDV to infect humans.[5]
Adding to the complexities, much of the microcephaly data from
Brazil comes from incomplete hospital reports. In most cases, tests
to confirm Zika infection were not carried out.
In June 2016, the Zika in Infants and Pregnancy Study was launched
in Puerto Rico. It aims to monitor up to 10,000 pregnant women to
examine Zika virus along with nutritional, socio-economic and
environmental factors and their potential link to birth defects.
However, the results of a similar study have only raised further
doubts.

12,000 Zika Cases Confirmed in Pregnant Colombian

Women Zero Microcephaly Cases
According to a report by the New England Complex Systems
Institute (NECSI), there are serious questions about whether Zika
virus is the cause of microcephaly. They cite the preliminary results
of a New England Journal of Medicine study, which followed nearly
12,000 pregnant Colombian women infected with Zika virus.[6]

No cases of microcephaly were reported in their babies as of May

2016, yet four cases of microcephaly were reported among women
who had Zika infection with no symptoms and were therefore not
included in the study.
The researchers then speculated that this means there could be four
times as many cases of Zika infection that are unreported, for a total
of at least 60,000 Zika-infected pregnancies in Colombia.
Using this data, an analysis revealed the rate of microcephaly to be
what would be expected in any area, whether Zika is in the picture
or not, which is 2 cases in 10,000 births.[7] According to NECSI:[8]
This gives a consistent interpretation that there is no direct link
between Zika and microcephaly except for random co-occurrence.
We note that the base rate of microcephaly in the absence of Zika is
140 per year in Colombia, which is consistent with the

approximately 50 microcephaly cases in the first [four] months of

2016, only [four] of which have been connected to Zika. When
interpreting Zika as the cause, background cases must be
subtracted.
By June 2016, 11 total microcephaly cases had been reported in
women with Zika infections in Colombia. If Zika and microcephaly
are linked, NECSI pointed out that the total number of microcephaly
cases should rise dramatically in the next few months, reaching
more than 10 microcephaly-Zika births each week.[9]
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.[10]

WHO Expert: Zika Response Completely Hysterical

Florence Fouque, a World Health Organization (WHO) expert on
animals that carry viruses, called the public response to the Zika
virus completely hysterical.[11] She blamed the hysteria on the
findings that the virus affects pregnant women and can be sexually
transmitted.
Its like AIDS, she told PRI. People make this link and thats
why they are really afraid.[12] At one restaurant in downtown
Miami, Florida, where a handful of Zika cases were detected in
August 2016, insect repellent was placed on all the tables.[13]
Even Oliver Brady, an epidemiologist with the London School of
Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who was asked by Brazilian
officials to assess the Zika-microcephaly situation, said theres no
conclusive evidence that Zika causes birth defects in humans.

He told PRI that while animal studies have shown the virus attacks
brain cells, this isnt final proof:[14]
You see that with a lot of arboviruses [viruses spread by
mosquitoes and other insects] They have pathogenic qualities and
if you put them in the right tissue then they will cause some sort of
damage. And they tend to be quite transmissible across a variety of
barriers anyway.
So it doesnt necessarily mean that thats the mechanism thats
happening out there in the field, even if it does work in the lab.

National Institutes of Health Launches Trial for

Experimental Zika Vaccine
The U.S. is among those ignoring data and rushing to launch a
vaccine against Zika virus before its even known whether its
causing birth defects. What is known, however, is that experimental
vaccines have real risks, which are often downplayed in the wake of
perceived global emergencies such as Zika.
In August 2016, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced
it launched a clinical trial of an experimental Zika vaccine again,
before there is conclusive proof that Zika causes microcephaly.
Eighty healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 35 will be
vaccinated with varying doses of the experimental vaccine. No
placebos will be given. The vaccine is said to be similar to a West
Nile Virus vaccine that was previously developed by the NIH, but
has not yet been approved. This alone should be a red flag, as should
the disastrous outcome of the CYD-TDV vaccine, the first dengue
vaccine approved by WHO in April 2016.

Dengue Vaccine Hints at Potential Problems With Zika

Vaccines
Dr. Scott B. Halstead, former senior adviser of the Dengue Vaccine
Initiative and the founder of Childrens Vaccine Initiative, told the
University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and
Policy:[15]
Its happened. We have a vaccine that enhances dengue Its
clear as the nose on my face: Vaccine recipients less than 5 years
old had five to seven times more rates of hospitalizations for severe
dengue virus than placebo controls.
Hes referring to the results of a three-year study published in the
New England Journal of Medicine,[16] which suggest the vaccine
causes antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). Halstead
explained:[17] Over time, you make and keep protective levels of
antibody from the initial infection, but you lose the cross-reactive
antibodies That allows a second dengue infection to cause severe
illness
At this point, its unknown how this relates to Zika virus, but its
possible that pre-existing immunity to dengue may lead to more
severe infection with Zika virus. The University of Minnesota
Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy quoted concerns
voiced by Dr. Philip K. Russell, the former director of the Walter
Reed Army Institute of Research and commander of the U.S. Army
Medical Research and Development Command, as well as founding
president and chairman of the Sabin Vaccine Institute:
Russell said that the fact that Zika is occurring in areas where
dengue has been endemic hints at a serious potential problem with
ADE and Zika vaccine development. The current epidemic of Zika,
which is usually mild disease, is made a lot worse in these
populations, Russell said. I think theres a major effect, but the
studies havent been done yet to sort that out.

More Toxic Exposures Are Not the Answer

Many areas are ramping up pesticide spraying to combat Zika virus.
A Clean Water Act permit is generally required to spray pesticides
in areas where they might end up in water. The permit is intended to
keep the toxic chemicals from contaminating water, but now the
Zika virus has been used as an excuse to do away with this commonsense precaution.
The language was inserted into the Zika Vector Control Act, which
was passed by the House of Representatives. It would exempt
pesticide applicators from needing a Clean Water Act permit, even
when spraying near water. Critics argued the bill would do little to
help fight Zika virus, since mosquito-control agencies already have
authority to apply pesticides in emergency situations to prevent the
spread of infectious disease without applying for permits.
Opponents say the bill has nothing to do with combating Zika and,
instead, has been on the table for years, with the majority pushing
for its passage under whatever name was convenient at the
time.[18] A White House spokesman also said it hasnt ruled out
relaxing restrictions on some pesticides to fight Zika.[19]
By removing requirements for permits when spraying pesticides
near water, its likely the use of these chemicals will skyrocket,
including via aerial spraying, which was recently started in Miami,
Florida.

Aerial Mosquito Spraying May Increase Autism Risk

Unfortunately, many may suffer as a result. In research presented at
the Pediatric Academic Societies 2016 Meeting, aerial pesticide
exposure was linked to an increased risk of developmental delays
and autism spectrum disorder among children.[20] The study

compared children living in zip codes where aerial pesticide

spraying was used each summer to combat mosquitoes that carry the
eastern equine encephalitis virus with children living in non-aerialspraying zip codes.

Children exposed to the aerial pesticide spraying were about 25

percent more likely to be diagnosed with autism or have a
documented developmental delay than those living in areas that used
other methods of pesticide application (such as manual spreading of
granules).
If authorities use the supposed threat of Zika to increase aerial
spraying, it could increase childrens risk of brain disorders, which
is the opposite of what anti-Zika campaigns are supposed to achieve.

Mosquito Experts Admit Zika Threat Risk Near Zero

Even mosquito experts are questioning the extent of emergency that
actually exists. Chris Barker, Ph.D., a mosquito-borne virus
researcher at the University of California, Davis School of

Veterinary Medicine, told WebMD:[21] I think the risk for Zika

actually setting up transmission cycles that become established in
the continental U.S. is near zero.
Barker expects Zika to go the way of other tropical diseases spread
by mosquitoes, such as dengue fever and chikungunya, in the U.S.
with small clusters of outbreaks in southern states and little activity
elsewhere. You neednt go dousing your backyard in chemicals in
an attempt to stay safe from Zika virus (whose connection to birth
defects is still being explored).
If, however, mosquitoes are bothersome for you, draining standing
water, including pet bowls, gutters, garbage and recycling bins,
spare tires, bird baths, childrens toys and so on, is important.
This is where mosquitoes breed, so if you eliminate standing water
youll eliminate many mosquitoes. A simple house fan could also
help keep mosquitoes at bay if youre having a get-together in your
backyard or, for a longer-term solution, try installing a bat house
(bats are voracious consumers of insects, especially mosquitoes).
Regularly consuming garlic may also help protect against mosquito
bites, as may the following natural insect repellants:

Cinnamon leaf oil (one study found it was more effective at

killing mosquitoes than DEET[22].)
Clear liquid vanilla extract mixed with olive oil.
Wash with citronella soap, and then put some 100 percent pure
citronella essential oil on your skin. Java Citronella is
considered the highest quality citronella on the market.
Catnip oil (according to one study, this oil is 10 times more
effective than DEET[23].)

Direct link to article: http://wakeup-world.com/2016/08/18/zika-brazil-admits-its-not-thevirus/

Sources and references:

Nature July 25, 2016

PRI August 2, 2016
Science Daily June 24, 2016
USA Today August 3, 2016
Reuters August 3, 2016
BBC August 4, 2016
Time April 30, 2016

1, 2, 5

Nature July 25, 2016

Obstet Gynecol. 1959 Mar;13(3):299-301.
4
CDC, Facts About Microcephaly
6
New England Journal of Medicine May 19, 2016
7
Science Daily June 24, 2016
8, 10
New England Complex Systems Institute June 22, 2016
9
Science Daily June 28, 2016
11, 12, 14
PRI August 2, 2016
13
BBC August 4, 2016
15, 17
University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy
July 28, 2016
16
N Engl J Med 2015; 373:1195-1206
18
Think Progress May 25, 2016
19
Reuters August 3, 2016
20
Science Daily April 30, 2016
21
WebMD May 26, 2016
22
J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Jul 14;52(14):4395-400.
23
Science Daily August 28, 2001
3

About the author:

Born and raised in the inner city of Chicago, IL, Dr. Joseph Mercola
is an osteopathic physician trained in both traditional and natural medicine. Board-certified
in family medicine, Dr. Mercola served as the chairman of the family medicine department
at St. Alexius Medical Center for five years, and in 2012 was granted fellowship status by
the American College of Nutrition (ACN).
While in practice in the late 80s, Dr. Mercola realized the drugs he was prescribing to
chronically ill patients were not working. By the early 90s, he began exploring the world of
natural medicine, and soon changed the way he practiced medicine.
In 1997 Dr. Mercola founded www.Mercola.com, which is now routinely among the top 10
health sites on the internet. His passion is to transform the traditional medical paradigm in
the United States. The existing medical establishment is responsible for killing and
permanently injuring millions of Americans You want practical health solutions without
the hype, and thats what I offer.