Health Commissioner Says Zika Virus Not a Threat to Public

African region, have been urged to be watchful and prepare to tackle any signs of the Zika virus disease.

Employers should prepare now to prevent and respond to infections among their workers from the mosquito-borne Zika virus that the World Health Organization has declared an worldwide public emergency.

Since October 462 cases of microcephaly have been confirmed in Brazil which has a population of 204 million and more than 3800 cases are being studied as possibly being related to the virus according to government figures.

In Brazil, with the Olympics looming, the president says Rio de Janeiro will be a priority when it comes to efforts to eliminate Zika. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have labeled Zika a Level 1 threat.

Employers should be “looking at how they’re going to communicate to employees, giving employees the tools and the option to be able to make decisions”, she said.

The outbreak of the virus, which is spread by mosquitoes, has caused widespread panic among some countries preparing for Rio 2016.

While Olympic officials say this summer’s ceremonies are still on, a number of athletes have voiced their fears.

To keep up with news about the Zika virus, NPR has compiled a timeline which it is updating as needed.

Hospitalizations and fatalities due to Zika infection are rare, with symptoms such as rash and fever lasting from a few days to one week.

A prominent group of attorneys and psychologists is preparing a lawsuit calling for women infected with Zika during their pregnancies to be allowed to get legal abortions.

Brazilian researchers have developed a highly accurate molecular test that can detect the Zika virus in samples of blood, saliva or urine within five hours.

The Telegraph also noted that the government said it only used larvicides recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Microcephaly is where a baby’s head and brain are smaller than what’s considered normal; and it is a lifelong condition, for which there is no cure.

So far, over 4,000 reported cases of microcephaly in newborns were registered in Brazil.

“We believe, based on what we know about the biology of this virus, that the risk of a Zika virus outbreak occurring within the State of IN is low”, said Brown.

However, the health agency said “the cause of the increase in GBS incidence… remains unknown, especially as dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus have all been circulating simultaneously in the Americas”.