An epidemic has begun in South America as the Zika virus has affected 4,000 infants in Brazil in the past year. The zika virus, which is spread by way of mosquito, was thought to only have  a dangerous effect on pregnant woman as it causes deformities on babies while they are in the womb. The virus has caused babies to be born with unusually small heads and underdeveloped brains. If an adult is bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus, he or she will just be affected with cold-like symptoms and possibly a rash. The disease has now spread to Latin America and the Carribean, causing American officials to advise pregnant woman not to travel to over 20 countries in the Western Hemisphere.

        Disease specialists in Brazil recently disclosed that the Zika virus may also be causing a rise in another rare condition known as Guillian-Barre syndrome, which causes a person’s immune system to attack their nervous system causing patients to become paralyzed and dependent on life support. Brazilian doctors estimate that Zika increases the likelihood of a person contracting Guillian-Barre syndrome by 20 times.

        The Zika virus has been present in Brazil for some time but, until recently, it was so rare that Brazil’s Health Ministry did not require conditions to be reported. However, last year in northeastern Brazil cases of both the Zika virus and Guillian-Barre surged, causing the doctors to alert the Health Ministry. Since the cases of Zika have exponentially increased, cases of Guillian-Barre have tripled just in the past month.

        The first case of Zika virus in the United States, not including the territory of Puerto Rico, was reported last week in Hawaii. The mother had been in Brazil while pregnant. Luckily, there have been no cases of Guillian-Barre syndrome in all of the United States and its territories.