December 21, 2017 - 1:14 PM
SAO PAULO - Health Ministry data shows that cases of Zika and dengue in Brazil this year have fallen dramatically as compared to last year.
The ministry said Thursday that probable Zika cases reported through Nov. 25 fell 92 per cent when compared to the same period in 2016. For dengue, that drop was 83 per cent. There was also a 32 per cent decline in probable cases of chikungunya. The Aedes aegypti mosquito carries all three diseases.
Officials have attributed this year's decline to increased mosquito-eradication efforts. Those efforts were stepped up during the Zika outbreak that began in late 2015. Zika wasn't considered a major health threat until that outbreak revealed the virus can lead to severe birth defects.
Brazil declared an end to the public health emergency over Zika in May.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017