Brazil on the 'Losing End' Against Zika Virus?

Brazil is on the losing end of battling the dreaded Zika virus, health officials fear. As valiant efforts are being made to contain the contagious mosquito-borne disease, it has already begun to take its toll on Brazil, and is even in danger of spreading to the rest of the world.

The country also has to deal with the pressing issue of Carnival, Rio de Janeiro's biggest festival, which is set to draw millions of tourists in early February. The Guardian reports that Brazil's health minister, Marcelo Castro, said that the health ministry will be working with Brazil's armed forces in order to expedite efforts in trying to completely eradicate the virus. Castro also said that the government is distributing mosquito repellents to affected households, who will also be entitled to receive cash benefits.

Brazil's current health situation does not look good. The cost of repellent in the country has reportedly gone up, with prices being jacked up by pharmacies by as much as four times. Despite the reported price increase, stocks keep flying off the shelves. As of the latest report with the publication, there are over 4,000 cases of microcephaly, which has been linked to Zika. This is an alarming surge from the fewer than 150 cases reported in 2014.

Castro said that while the Aedes Aegypti mosquito has been in Brazil for decades, the country has never experienced an outbreak that has left devastating effects on its citizens. The mosquito, which is also linked to other mosquito-borne related diseases such as dengue and yellow fever, was reportedly eradicated in the 1950s, but the mosquito would return and would later cause an outbreak in dengue.

The health minister said that the country is "badly losing" its battle to contain the virus and will be in danger of spreading, especially now with the onset of the country's Carnival.

Castro's comments have been deemed controversial not only in Brazi, but also all over the world. Christian Lindmeier, Castro's peer in the World Health Organization (WHO), lfeels that it would be "too fatalistic" to deem the battle against the Zika virus a lost cause.

There are those in Brazil who believe that the health minister should be fired because of his failed efforts in containing the virus. His critics have harsh words for Castro, calling him "incapable" of his position. Many of his detractors believe that Castro cannot handle the Zika virus on a global scale, leading him to say such uncalled for words on such a delicate subject.

The Zika virus has also become a cause for worldwide concern, CNN reports. It has now spread across 25 countries. In Brazil, 46 babies have died because of it. It was also reported that two pregnant women in Illionois who  travelled to Latin America were tested positive for the Zika virus. Another woman in Hawaii gave birth to an infant with microcephaly.

Brazil's current state remains bleak as of the moment, and citizens in Brazil are panicking. Though efforts are being made by both the government and its people, for many, the damage from the Zika virus have already been done.