16 October 2016, 14:43 GMT
MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) — According to the ministry, cited by the Telesur broadcaster, the cases of microcephaly among the newborns have been registered in all the 27 administrative divisions of Brazil. The majority of cases, 389, have been registered in the northeastern state of Pernambuco.
The disease is commonly associated with the spread of Zika virus. It significantly affects only newborns, while the adults are not generally exposed to any visible symptoms or complications.
The Zika virus is transmitted by daytime-active mosquitoes. The current outbreak originated in Brazil in the spring of 2015, spread across Latin America and gained much media attention as confirmations of Zika cases emerged in Europe and the United States earlier this year.
In February, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Zika virus a global public health emergency.
