Development of an early intervention to support babies with Congenital Zika Syndrome and their families (360G-Wellcome-206719_Z_17_A)

On February 1, 2016, Zika virus (ZIKV) was designated as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the WHO. ZIKV has now spread to 72 countries and territories, including in Asia, Africa and the Americas. It is now clear that congenital infection with ZIKV in the first trimester can cause microcephaly, and these cases have already been reported in 20 countries. In Brazil, there are 2975 cases of microcephaly suspected of being related to ZIKV . Congenital infection with ZIKV is also linked to other congenital abnormalities, besides microcephaly, including: neurological conditions , ophthalmic abnormalities , hearing loss and bone and joint disorders . Congenital Zika Syndrome therefore extends beyond microcephaly alone. The full spectrum of conditions is not yet known, nor is there an accurate estimate of prevalence of Congenital Zika Syndrome. Congenital Rubella and CMV infection also cause neurological sequelae, including microcephaly, and for these conditions there are approximately twice as many children born with other impairments than those born with microcephaly. , Congenital Zika Syndrome is therefore likely to be at least twice as common as microcephaly alone.