01 Mar Zika Mosquito Bites May Raise Mental Illness Risk
With Zika on the rise and becoming an increasing risk in the United States, research on the disease has been made a top priority. Researchers are finding that Zika-infected mosquito bites may increase a predisposition for mental illness in unborn children. While the side effects of Zika are usually harmless to healthy adults, mosquito bites infected with the disease can be incredibly harmful to pregnant women. Illnesses in utero, including viral infections, can make children more likely to develop mental illnesses later on in life. A viral attack in the early stages of pregnancy can kill fetuses or inhibit the growth of the brain. A common occurrence in countries where Zika is widespread is microcephaly, a disease in which infants are born with smaller-than-normal heads, possibly causing damage to their brain. Zika is spread to infants while in the womb via mosquito bites received by their mothers. This attack on the fetus...