Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General of the WHO, declared yesterday the situation of global health emergency due to the alarming explosion of the Zika virus that is being registered in more than twenty Latin American countries.
Chan clarified that Zika as such was not an international public health emergency, but it is microcephaly in newborns linked to the Zika virus and other effects of this virus transmitted by mosquitoes.
The disease is transmitted by mosquito bites Aedes aegypti, also bearer of dengue and Chikungunya, and although it has been present for a few decades, all alarms went on to discover Zika connection with congenital malformations and neurological symptoms in newborn babies.
"The arrival of the virus in some places has been associated with a pronounced increase in the birth of babies with abnormally small heads and cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome," Chan explained.
In Brazil, the country most affected by the virus, there have been more than four thousand cases of microcephaly. And according to WHO, it is reasonable to estimate that there may be 3 to 4 million cases of Zika in the Americas in a 12-month period.
"We have not been able to establish the direct relationship between the Zika virus and cases of microcephaly and neurological disorders either in Brazil or in Polynesia. That is what we must investigate. But the cases of malformations are so serious that we have decided to declare them an emergency "said the Chairman of the Emergency Committee, David Heymann.
What is a global health emergency?
Countries with confirmed cases of Zika (Source: WHO) The term International Public Health Emergency (PHEIC) is "an extraordinary event that constitutes a risk to the health of the public in other states through the spread of diseases and may need a coordinated international response."
It happens when a situation can be described as:
- severe, sudden, unusual or unexpected.
- It has implications for public health beyond the national border of the affected State.
- may require immediate international action
What should pregnant women do?
WHO recommends that pregnant women not travel to the most affected countries if it is not necessary. And if they should do so, cover the body as much as possible, use repellents and physical barriers to prevent bites, such as mosquito nets or closing doors and windows.
Via CNN
More information | WHO and PAHO
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