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WORLD NEWSSaturday 13 February 2016
Brazil: Japanese
musician
Castro says no doubt Zika connected to microcephaly strangled during
Trinidad’s
Brazil’s Health Minister Marcelo Castro speaks during an inter- Zika virus is connected to as microcephaly. The U.S. Carnival
view at the Health Ministry headquarters, in Brasilia, Brazil, Fri- devastating birth defects Centers for Disease Con-
day, Feb. 12, 2016. Castro made his remarks with a poster with and rejected criticism that trol and Prevention has TONY FRASER
an image of an Aedes aegypti mosquito and a text in Portu- the government was slow warned pregnant women Associated Press
guese that reads “One Mosquito is not stronger that a country.” to investigate the surge of to avoid traveling to more PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad
cases that set off interna- than two dozen countries (AP) — A Japanese musi-
(AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) tional alarms. and territories in the Ameri- cian who flew to Trinidad
Marcelo Castro made the cas where active out- to participate in a well-
J. GOODMAN zil’s health minister said Fri- remarks during an inter- breaks are taking place. known steel percussion
view with The Associated Although the link has not competition was strangled
Associated Press day that authorities were Press in Brazil’s capital. been scientifically prov- to death during the island’s
He spoke a day before en and myriad questions annual Carnival celebra-
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Bra- “absolutely sure” that the tens of thousands of sol- remain, Castro said the tion, authorities said Friday.
diers and health inspectors half-year gap between An autopsy concluded that
were to take to the streets the virus outbreak in South Asami Nagakiya, whose
in an unprecedented drive America’s largest country body was found Wednes-
to encourage residents to and the spike in reported day in a Port-of-Spain park,
be vigilant for mosquito cases of microcephaly had been manually stran-
breeding sites. The goal: was not a coincidence. gled. No arrests have been
visit 3 million homes in more “We are absolutely sure of made, and authorities said
than 350 cities. the causal relationship be- they were working to de-
Brazil is at the epicenter tween microcephaly and termine whether she had
of a mosquito-borne virus Zika,” he said, adding that been sexually assaulted.
that has been linked to government researchers Japanese Embassy spokes-
rare birth defects known were unanimous in their as- man Shoichi Ueda said in
sessment: “It has nothing to a phone interview Friday
do with the environment, that Nagakiya was in her
nothing to do with race, 30s and her family lives in
nothing to do with gen- Japan. He said it’s unclear
der.” whether her family would
Clinical and preliminary come to Trinidad, or if her
laboratory evidence has body would be sent back
shown that many moth- to Japan.
ers of children with micro- Police said in a statement
cephaly were infected that they searched an
with Zika during their preg- abandoned house close
nancies. Castro said more to where Nagakiya was
research was needed to found after witnesses said
determine whether ad- they saw her going in and
ditional factors may have out of the building. She was
also played a role in the last seen with her band on
spike of birth defects. Tuesday around noon, of-
Traditionally, Brazil had ficials said.
reported about 150 such Nagakiya flew to Trinidad
cases of microcephaly a on Jan. 7 to play with the
year. Since October, 5,079 PCS Nitrogen Silver Stars,
suspected cases have a 120-person steel drum
been reported, accord- orchestra. The band was
ing to the latest figures re- playing in the Panorama
leased Friday. Of those, steel pan competition,
462 cases have been which is held every Febru-
confirmed while 765 have ary during Trinidad’s Carni-
been discarded. Of the val.
confirmed microcephaly Officials said Nagakiya
cases, 41 have been con- joined the band in 2012.
nected to Zika. “Her talent and hard work
In response to criticism made her the excellent
that Brazil was moving too tenor player that she was,”
slowly to confirm cases of the group said in a state-
microcephaly, Castro said ment. “Asami would also
the federal government be remembered for her
was pushing states and lo- generosity with craft and
cal governments to speed jewelry making and the
up tests on newborns. Japanese treats that she
Castro, who will be travel- always brought back for
ing to the capital of the everyone when she re-
northeastern state of Bahia turned to Trinidad.”
to oversee the “Zero Zika” Nagakiya also was a pan-
campaign there, called on nist for a Japanese band
his compatriots to join the called OTSK.q
battle to eliminate Zika. q
