World Health Organization body to meet February 1 on Zika virus

More than 2,100 pregnant Colombian women are infected with the mosquito-borne Zika virus, the country’s national health institute said on Saturday, as the disease continues its spread across the Americas.

“Exactly the same mosquito that spreads dengue fever in Far North Queensland is the species that’s spreading Zika virus”.

“We remain confident that there will be a safe environment for successful and enjoyable Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro”, said the IOC. The carrier can get joint pain, red eyes, fever, and a rash.

“The [WHO] is supporting the scaling up and strengthening of surveillance systems in countries that have reported cases of Zika and of microcephaly and other neurological conditions that may be associated with the virus”, it said. Individuals can also use insect repellent and wear long sleeves and trousers to protect themselves from being bit.

Venezuelan Health Minister Luisana Melo said her country’s seen 255 cases of Guillain-Barre, apparently as part of its effort to fight Zika, though she did not specify the link or the time frame. Pregnant woman are most impacted by the virus because it can lead to microcephaly in newborns.

The health authorities asked medical facilities to test suspected patients returning from affected areas and send samples to the national lab.

“Our main message is to warn pregnant women, and women trying to become pregnant, to avoid or delay traveling to any of the countries affected”, city Health Department spokesman Christopher Miller told the Post.

There have been cases that are being reported in returning travelers.

Cambodia’s only Zika case recovered in 2010 after treatment.

Chan said the virus is now in “23 countries and territories in the region”, while the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it exists in 24 nations. It’s also urging people to destroy mosquito-breeding places.

The White House says President Barack Obama and Brazilian President Dilma Rouseff have discussed their concerns about the spread of the Zika virus.

The government of India has set up a Technical Expert Group to suggest measures to deal with Zika virus.

Right now the best way to combat the virus is to control the mosquitoes that carry and transmit the virus, he said.

Secretary for Food and Health Dr. Ko Wing-man also said that because only up to one quarter of the infected persons might develop relatively mild illness, “the attention was therefore not too big”.

But with the World Health Organisation(WHO) now meeting in Geneva to desperately discuss cures for the Zika virus, speculation has mounted as to the cause of this sudden outbreak.