
Brazil has sent more than 200,000 troops to go 'house to house' in the battle against Zika-carrying mosquitoes, blamed for causing a birth defect epidemic that is spreading rapidly across the world.

Soldiers will visit homes across Brazil, distributing leaflets and dispensing advice, according to Health Minister Marcelo Castro, signalling a major ramping up of efforts against the Zika virus.

The government, under growing pressure to deal with the crisis, will also hand out repellent to at least 400,000 pregnant women on social welfare.

The virus has been linked to serious birth defects, including microcephaly, in which babies born to women infected during pregnancy have abnormally small heads. Concerns remain that the terrifying virus could become a global issue with Rio hosting the Olympics in the summer.

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Heartbreaking: The Zika virus has been blamed for causing severe brain damage to newborn babies. Pictured, Estafany Perreira holds her five-month-old nephew David Henrique Ferreira, who has microcephaly, in Recife, Brazil

Ready for battle: Brazil has sent in 200,000 soldiers to distribute leaflets and dispense advice in the fight against the growing epidemic

It comes as the World Health Organisation said that the virus, which is suspected causing horrific brain damage to babies, will spread throughout all countries in America except Chile and Canada.

'Our investigation is on course to develop a better testing with respect to the prenatal transmission of the disease, and to better understand how the virus affects babies,' said a spokesman for the organisation.

A surge in incidents across Latin America, notably in Brazil, has prompted the United States and other governments to warn pregnant women against traveling to the region - an alarming prospect for Brazil as it gears up to welcome the Olympics to Rio de Janeiro in August.

Cases of the virus have also been discovered in Europe - with three cases in Great Britain, four in Italy and two in Spain's Catalonia region. The British travellers had picked up the disease after being bitten by mosquitoes while visiting Colombia, Suriname and Guyana.

All the cases so far discovered in Europe have been in people who recently returned from trips to Latin America or the Caribbean.

But experts now believe that the disease itself could potentially be spread within Italy by the Tiger Mosquito – which, although once native to Asia, is now widespread across southern Europe.

‘The disease could be carried by the Tiger Mosquito,’ Fabrizio Pregliasco, a virologist at the University of Milan, told La Repubblica.

Helping hand: A pediatric infectologist at Oswaldo Cruz Hospital examines 2-month-old Ludmilla Hadassa Dias de Vasconcelos, who has microcephaly

Insecticide is sprayed by workers in the Sambadrome today, ahead of a carnival performance where thousands of dancers will parade

Warning: The World Health Organisation said that the virus will spread across all countries in the Americas, except for Chile and Canada. Pictured, mother Mylene Helena Ferreira (centre) carries her five-month-old son David, who has microcephaly, in Recife, Brazil

Line-up: Brazilian Army soldiers walk while canvassing a neighbourhood in an attempt to eradicate the larvae of the mosquito which causes the Zika virus, while informing the public of preventive methods

Concern: Pregnant women have been warned not to travel to the 22 countries where outbreaks have been reported, as the Zika virus has been linked to microcephaly, in which babies born to women infected during pregnancy have abnormally small heads

‘The infected patient was then bitten by a Tiger Mosquito, and the Chikungunya virus was spread to over 200 people.’

He continued: ‘We need to isolate infected people and ensure that if they have the disease they don’t leave their homes to try and ensure they don’t pass to disease to a Tiger Mosquito.

‘It’s like a fire: if you put it out straight away it’s no problem, if not it can become a huge blaze.’

Pregnant women have been warned not to travel to the 22 countries where the infection has been reported, which include nations in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and Oceania - but this could cause havoc for the upcoming Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

Unlike some other international health scares, the Zika virus is not spread person to person and people are only becoming infected after being bitten by mosquitoes. For most people who get infected, the flu-like symptoms will clear up in about a week.

But the specific threat to pregnant women and their foetuses, and the seeming impossibility of avoiding mosquitoes in tropical countries, has given this crisis extra gravity.

Brazil has recorded at least 3,893 microcephaly cases since an unusual spike in the rare condition was noticed in the country's northeast in October. Previously an annual average of 160 cases was the norm.

Moving in: The government, under growing pressure to deal with the crisis, will also hand out repellent to at least 400,000 pregnant women on social welfare

Spreading: Cases of the virus have been discovered in countries across Latin America, in Africa and in Oceania. Pictured, five-month old David Henrique Ferreira, who has microcephaly, after having his bath

Growing: In the last four months, authorities have recorded close to 4,000 cases in Brazil in which the mosquito-borne Zika virus may have led to microcephaly in infants

Terrifying: Fears remain how Brazil will manage to contain the deadly virus, particularly when Rio hosts the Olympics in the summer

Fear: The specific threat to pregnant women and their foetuses, and the seeming impossibility of avoiding mosquitoes in tropical countries, has given the crisis extra gravity

22 COUNTRIES THAT ARE AFFECTED The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued initial travel warnings to pregnant women last week, adding eight more places to the list on Friday. The warnings now extend to: Central and South America: Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela Caribbean: Barbados, Saint Martin, Haiti, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe Oceania: Samoa Africa: Cape Verde Advertisement

And short of not getting pregnant, there is no foolproof method for avoiding risk.

Mr Castro said last week that the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which carries Zika and also dengue fever and the chikungunya virus, was gaining momentum.

Dr Dipti Patel, director at National Travel Health Network and Centre, warned: 'All travellers, especially pregnant women going to the Americas, should ensure they seek travel health advice from their GP or a travel clinic well in advance of their trip.

'We strongly advise all travellers to avoid mosquito bites and urge pregnant women to consider avoiding travel to areas where Zika outbreaks are currently reported.

'If travel is unavoidable, or they live in areas where Zika is reported, they should take scrupulous insect bite avoidance measures both during daytime and nighttime hours.

'Women who are planning to become pregnant should discuss their travel plans with their healthcare provider to assess the risk of infection with Zika and receive advice on mosquito bite avoidance measures.'

Dr Hilary Kirkbride, travel and migrant health expert at PHE, said: 'The symptoms of Zika are similar to other mosquito-borne infections such as dengue, chikungunya and malaria so laboratory testing is essential for the correct diagnosis.

'If you have recently returned from the Americas, including the Caribbean, and have a fever or flu-like illness, seek medical attention without delay to exclude malaria and mention your travel history.'

The Foreign Office advised Britons to seek advice before travelling anywhere where the virus has been reported in the last year 'particularly if you're pregnant or planning to become pregnant'.

Only a handful of Zika cases had ever been documented before 2013.

Drive: A Brazilian Army soldier makes a note inspecting a home while canvassing a neighborhood in an attempt to eradicate the Zika virus

No cure: Experts estimate that as many as 1.5million people in Brazil could be infected with the Zika virus, which has no cure and spreads through mosquito bites

Disorder: It is thought the Zika virus - which was at first thought to be relatively innocuous - may have arrived in Brazil during the 2014 World Cup by visitors from French Polynesia, where an outbreak had just occurred

Upset: Estafany Perreira (centre) holds her five-month-old nephew David, who has microcephaly, on January 25, 2016 in Recife, Brazil

But scientists began sounding the alarm after multiple outbreaks were discovered in Pacific islands and south-east Asia.

It is thought the Zika virus - which was at first thought to be relatively innocuous - may have arrived in Brazil during the 2014 World Cup by visitors from French Polynesia, where an outbreak had just occurred.

Scientists estimate as many as 1.5 million people could now be infected in Brazil.

Colombia has the second highest infection rate, with more than 13,500 people infected with the virus and the disease could hit as many as 700,000, its health minister said.

The country's health minister, Alejandro Gaviria, urged women to delay pregnancies for up to eight months.

He said: 'We are doing this because I believe it's a good way to communicate the risk, to tell people that there could be serious consequences.'

Similar warnings were issued in Ecuador, El Salvador and Jamaica.

However, women's rights campaigners criticised the recommendations, saying women in the region often had little choice about becoming pregnant.

'It's incredibly naive for a government to ask women to postpone getting pregnant in a context such as Colombia, where more than 50% of pregnancies are unplanned and across the region where sexual violence is prevalent,' said Monica Roa, a member of Women's Link Worldwide group.

Worry: Cases of Zika have also been found in Europe - with three cases in Great Britain, four in Italy and two in Spain's Catalonia region

Outbreak: Colombia has the second highest infection rate, with more than 13,500 people infected with the virus and the disease could hit as many as 700,000, its health minister said. Pictured, Brazilian soldiers canvassing a neighbourhood in Recife, Brazil

Prevention: Colombia's health minister, Alejandro Gaviria, has urged women in the country to delay pregnancies for up to eight months

Family unit: Mother Mylene Helena Ferreira holds her son David, who has microcephaly, on January 25, 2016 in Recife, Brazil

Advice: Travel restrictions advised to pregnant women are causing concern in Brazil over the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro

Joao Batista holds his one-month-old daughter Alice Vitoria in his arms. The baby suffers from microcephaly, which causes Alice to have an unusually small head and impaired brain function

At risk: A teen stands in Recife, just one of the many neighbourhoods which will receive visits from soldiers in the fight against Zika virus