Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SAO PAULO (AP) — President Dilma Rousseff says Brazil is trying to develop vaccine against the Zika and dengue viruses.
She says the Health Ministry is working with Brazilian and foreign laboratories to obtain a vaccine against dengue and the Zika viruses that are transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
Brazilian officials have linked the Zika virus has been linked to the large number of cases of microcephaly, a rare birth defect.
The Health Ministry has said the number of cases of microcephaly has risen to 3,893 since authorities began investigating the surge in cases in October.
Rousseff also called on Brazilians to redouble their efforts to eliminate the mosquito and its breeding grounds.
She made her remarks on Thursday during a highway inauguration ceremony in the northeastern state of Pernambuco.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
