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Brazil deploys soldiers over Zika virus

Feb 14, 2016, 6:10 PM EST
Source: Ministerio do Esporte/flickr
Source: Ministerio do Esporte/flickr

More than 200,000 soldiers have been deployed across Brazil to warn people about the risks of the Zika virus.

The BBC reports:

Brazil is at the centre of an outbreak of the virus, which has been linked to a surge in babies being born with underdeveloped brains. The country has 462 confirmed cases of microcephaly, and is investigating another 3,852 suspected cases. President Dilma Rousseff said the crisis would not "compromise" the Olympics Brazil is hosting in August. Brazilian troops are going door to door, handing out four million leaflets advising people about the risks of the virus, carried by mosquitoes. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global public health emergency over the possible connection between Zika and microcephaly, a condition marked by abnormally small heads in newborn babies that can result in developmental problems. The link with Zika has not been confirmed, but the WHO and other public health bodies have said it is strongly suspected.

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