What we know: WHO declares global emergency over Zika virus

Meanwhile in the worst affected nation of Brazil, 3,700 cases of microcephaly, where babies develop brain damage which can cause their heads to appear shrunken are believed to have been caused by Zika.

The World Health Organisation has called for an urgent global response to the mosquito-borne virus, which occurs mostly in Africa and Asia.

The nine travellers affected had all recently arrived in New Zealand from Tonga and Samoa with the Ministry of Health linking one of the cases to American Samoa today. That number is 1-888-364-4723.

Aylward was clear the Zika virus itself is, “not a clinically serious infection”, but that the associated concerns prompted the move. Download the FOX 40 News app for free today.

The Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also spreads dengue fever, carries the sickness.

Brazil, the hardest hit country, sounded the alarm in October, when a rash of microcephaly cases emerged in the northeast.

The UN health agency yesterday convened an emergency meeting of independent experts in Geneva to assess the outbreak of the virus.

For more information on the Zika virus, visit the NSW Health website .

Meanwhile, three more Zika cases were confirmed in Harris County, Texas, according to Click2Houston.

Until more was known about the virus, pregnant women or women planning to become pregnant should consider delaying travel to areas with the Zika virus, he noted.

In response, some countries – including the United States – have issued travel notices for people travelling to regions and certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing.

The World Health Organization Monday declared the Zika virus an worldwide emergency. It also has devised detailed guidelines for the general public, pregnant women and medical institutions.

“There has been an advisory that pregnant women should avoid travelling to areas where the Zika virus is being spread”.

Brazil has reported about 4,000 cases of microcephaly since October.

Dr. Howard Zucker, the NY health commissioner, said there is no need to isolate infected people, and Zika can’t be spread by casual human contact.