Brazil to use pediatric heart program in fight against Zika

Officials in one of the epicenters of Brazil's Zika outbreak say they're turning to a program aimed at diagnosing pediatric heart problems to search out babies with the unusually small heads that have been linked to the mosquito-borne virus.

Paraiba state Gov. Ricardo Coutinho says the Network of Pediatric Cardiology is helping to identify previously undetected cases of microcephaly.

Paraiba has long suffered from high rate of pediatric heart problems, and in 2011 it created a program to bring early screening to hard-to-reach rural areas.

Paraiba is one of Brazil's poorest and least developed states. It's seen 59 confirmed cases of microcephaly since the surge was first noticed last October, and another 440 cases are under investigation.

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