Brazil president declares war on the Zika virus

WHO Director-General, Margaret Chan, has convened an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Zika virus, which will take place on Monday 1 February. As of midday Thursday, Google was reporting high numbers of searches for Zika and Zika virus in Venezuela, El Salvador and Brazil, among other countries where infections have been reported.

BRITISH sports stars heading to the Olympics are set to be given advice this week aimed at protecting them from Zika, the mosquito-borne virus spreading rapidly across South and North America. The Zika virus is believed to be behind a spike in babies born with smaller heads and brains.

Since the first case was reported in Brazil in May 2015, the disease has spread to 22 other countries and territories in the Americas. State health officials are actively working with local health departments to make sure providers have as much information as possible.

The concern is also related to lack of immunity of the population that are unexposed to the Zika virus.

Dr. Anne Schuchat of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said there have been 31 cases of Zika infection among United States citizens who traveled to areas affected by the virus.

It is also calling on the public to help control the spread of Aedes mosquitoes and dengue, a viral disease which affects thousands in the Southeast Asian nation every year.

Zika is mild in most people sometimes causing a headache, a rash, joint pain or red eyes.

One WHO doctor said the Americas could see up to 4 million cases of Zika in the next year.

Canadian Blood Services says it will stop accepting blood donations from people returning from countries hit by the outbreak.

The Zika virus was first detected in 1947 and for decades only caused mild disease. The last such emergency was announced for the devastating 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which eventually ended up killing more than 11,000 people.

“Health experts and researchers are working to strengthen the connection between the Zika virus in the mother and any potential connection to this poor health outcome”, says Tompkins.