- Argentine doctors group asserts larvicide and not Zika virus is the real culprit of increasing cases of microcephaly in Brazil
- Physicians in Crop-Sprayed Towns (PCST) says that a chemical larvicide that produces malformations in mosquitoes was injected into Brazil’s water supplies in 2014 in order to stop the development of mosquito larvae in drinking water tanks
- Monsanto has refuted the claim and asserts that it has nothing to do with the manufacture of larvicide, Zika virus or microcephaly
SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – A group of Argentine physicians has recently challenged the notion that the increasing number of cases of microcephaly is caused by the Zika virus. The physicians assert that a toxic larvicide introduced into Brazil’s water support may be the real reason for the spread of the congenital condition instead.
According to an article published by BBC News, the mosquito-borne virus that is spreading through Latin America has been linked to the birth defect microcephaly, which causes an abnormally small head and possible brain damage. Pregnant women all over the world have been advised to take caution.
However, in a story written by Alyssa Navaro and published by Tech Times, a group called Physicians in Crop-Sprayed Towns (PCST) says that a chemical larvicide that produces malformations in mosquitoes was injected into Brazil’s water supplies in 2014 in order to stop the development of mosquito larvae in drinking water tanks.
According to the group, the chemical, which is known as Pyriproxyfen, was used in a considerable government program to control the mosquito population in the country. Pyriproxyfen is manufactured by Sumitomo Chemical; a company associated with Monsanto.
Monsanto is an American multinational agro-chemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation headquartered in Creve Coeur, Greater St. Louis, Missouri.
PCST wrote in a report that “malformations detected in thousands of children from pregnant women living in areas where the Brazilian state added Pyriproxyfen to drinking water is not a coincidence.”
The group asserts that areas which have high cases of microcephaly are also the areas where the government have injected Pyriproxyfen to the water reservoirs.
The group points out that during past Zika epidemics, there have not been any cases of microcephaly linked with the virus.
Furthermore, the group claims that in countries such as Colombia where there are plenty of Zika cases, there are no records of microcephaly linked to Zika.
However, an article written by Reed Johnson and Rogerio Jelmayer for The Wall Street Journal mentioned that it is not clear that such a geographical connection exists and it is lesser clear that there is any connection at all between the larvicide and cases of microcephaly. The doctors’ group conducted no laboratory tests and no epidemiological studies, according to the article.
Monsanto has also clarified their involvement with Sumitomo. The agricultural company, through a statement, asserted that the company does not make larvicides, and that while it works with Sumitomo to sell herbicides and pesticides, Monsanto has nothing to do with either the Zika virus or microcephaly.
According to an article by Dan Mitchell of Fortune, Tech Times have also backed off its original article with a new article in which it characterized Monsanto having ” cleared up its relationship” with Sumitomo.
Sumitomo, on the other hand, responded by saying Pyriproxyfen poses minimal risk to birds, fish and mammals.
This is despite overwhelming evidence. In an article by Dom Phillips published by The Washington Post it was revealed that after experts examined 732 cases out of 4,180 Zika-related microcephaly, only 270 cases were confirmed as Zika-linked microcephaly.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also been careful not to explicitly link Zika to microcephaly.
“Although a causal link between Zika infection in pregnancy and microcephaly — and I must emphasize — has not been established, the circumstantial evidence is suggestive and extremely worrisome,” said WHO General Director Margaret Chan.
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