Peru strengthens health control against Zika virus

She did say Canadians are being advised to avoid travel to countries in South and Central America and parts of the Caribbean affected by the virus, which can cause neurological problems and birth defects.

THE WHO Director-General, Margaret Chan, said this at a meeting on Friday with the agency’s executive board in Geneva, adding that the spread of the mosquito-borne disease had gone from a mild threat to one of alarming proportions.

“Pregnant women are strongly encouraged to consider postponing travel to Zika-affected countries while pregnant”.

In Thailand, where just one case of Zika has been reported so far this year, the likelihood of Zika spreading was low, officials said, partly because of better access to health care and because Thailand was dealing with a smaller area. He said Americans should not “get overly panicked” since there have been no transmissions of the disease in the U.S.

Deputy Health Director Datuk Dr Lokman Halim Sulaiman said in a statement on Friday (Jan 29) that the Ministry was monitoring the spread of the virus and believed that the disease could spread to Malaysia because of the high presence of Aedes mosquitoes in the country.

Symptoms of infection may include fever, joint pain, itching, rash, conjunctivitis or red eyes, headache, muscle pain and eye pain.

Zika cases have been confirmed in 23 countries and territories in the Americas and scientists are racing to develop a vaccine for the virus. Authorities suspect the increase is linked to the virus. There is now no vaccine to prevent infection or treatment for Zika virus. A spokeswoman said Australian laboratories could diagnose the virus if required.

Thailand detected its first Zika case in 2012 and has recorded an average of five cases a year, according to the Ministry of Public Health.

Although health officials view a US outbreak of Zika as likely, the United States enjoys certain advantages that should keep such an outbreak limited to a small area, Schuchat said.

“We need to look at Zika virus in its context, as the latest in a series of mosquito-borne diseases that have expanded their reach in the last 20 years or so”, Fauci said.

Direct Relief is also providing mosquito nets in Haiti.