Planes from Zika-hit areas to be sprayed with insecticide

The mosquito-borne disease is continuing its rapid spread across the Americas.

NHS Secretary Ayub Sheikh told Dawn that there was no evidence that the virus had ever travelled to Pakistan and that not a single case of the Zika virus had been confirmed in the country.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and all necessary steps have been initiated to ensure that India is well prepared in case of any eventuality”, Nadda said after the meeting in which doctors from AIIMS also took part.

Paulo Gadelha says that the virus’s ability to infect other people through the two body fluids requires further study. Brazilian researchers have pointed to a suspected link between pregnant women’s infection with the virus and a rare birth defect in babies.

Direct Relief is also providing mosquito nets in Haiti.

The virus has been connected to microcephaly, a neurological disorder causing an abnormally small head, sometimes leading to death. “Any effective action against dengue is an equally effective action against Zika”, the statement said. “There is a need for greater awareness amongst community”, he said.

More than 3,100 pregnant Colombian women are infected with the Zika virus, the country’s president said.