‘US health experts confirm that Zika causes birth defects’ is the latest headline from the BBC as the Zika fear propaganda starts to build momentum for the second time. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed that the Zika virus causes severe birth defects, including microcephaly.
“Everything we know about this virus seems to be scarier than we initially thought,” said Dr Anne Schuchat of the CDC.
But as far as we can see they are not really any closer to establishing whether the Zika virus does actually cause these birth defects or not, they are using the same data from Brazil which we already know is highly questionable at best. This confirmation is based on statistics rather than science although it’s scientists analysing the statistics so therefore statements such as ‘Scientific consensus that there is a link’ are being used.
You can read the report from the ‘The New England Journal of Medicine’ [here] . But to summarise the CDC have used a method called Shepard’s Criteria to determine the link.
In 1994, Thomas Shepard, a pioneer in the field of teratology, proposed a set of seven criteria for “proof” of human teratogenicity.
According to these criteria, causality is established when either criteria 1, 3, and 4 (rare exposure–rare defect approach) or criteria 1, 2, and 3 (epidemiologic approach) are fulfilled. The first criterion states that a proven exposure to an agent must occur at a critical time during prenatal development.
On further analysis of the report as you will soon see statements such as “Many fetuses and infants with presumed congenital Zika virus infection have had a typical pattern” – Presumed? That is not Science, that is merely presumption. The conclusion to the study makes a mind blowing statement which reads, ‘Also supportive of a causal relationship is the absence of an alternative explanation’
So no biological scientific analysis has occurred to determine the link, this is purely based on statistics analysis. Which is not to say that this type of research cannot be effective because it can however when a virus which has been historically been classified to cause mild infection with mild reactions, not to mention the huge cases of Microcephaly in the US which occur every year without the Zika virus being present we have to question the validity of this conclusion.
Expect another media outbreak on this story over the coming days!
See our previous articles on the subject of Zika below:
“It’s Not the Zika Virus” — Doctors Expose Monsanto Linked Pesticide as Cause of Birth Defects
As Zika Fear campaign collapses multiple more health effects being ‘possibly’ linked
