The virus has been linked to a surge in births of babies with abnormally small heads, and pregnant women have been advised not to travel to Latin American and Caribbean countries because of the virus.
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“Although a causal link between Zika infection in pregnancy and microcephaly has not been established, the circumstantial evidence is suggestive and extremely worrisome”, Dr. Chan said in a statement.
Even though cases of Zika have been sporadic in the United States, officials fear that it is just a matter of time before cases of the virus become more common. The virus, transmitted by mosquitoes, has been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains.
Zika is generally considered a milder form of other mosquito borne illnesses such as dengue fever.
Zika virus is causing a widening health scare across tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, where it has spread to over 20 countries. There’ve been more than two dozen cases diagnosed in the U.S. since 2007, all travelers who are believed to have caught it overseas.
Before 2015, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands faced Zika virus outbreaks. “But of course the huge increase of Zika, especially in north- eastern Brazil, and the rise of Zika cases gives a lot of reason for concern and now the big task is to try to establish the link here”, said World Health Organization spokesperson Christian Lindmeier.
As Zika is transmitted through mosquitoes, vector control remains the mainstay to prevent transmission of the Zika virus, as it is spread by the Aedes mosquito, which also spreads the dengue and chikungunya viruses.
Health officials in Helsinki say that a Finnish tourist was infected by the Zika virus after visiting the Maldives last summer. While it has not been proven that Zika causes microcephaly, the CDC found the virus in the tissue of four Brazilian infants with the birth defect.
The virus has sent alarm bells ringing all across the globe as it is fast reaching pandemic levels (infection or disease spreading to multiple countries or continents).
The US has reported its first microcephaly case related to the Zika virus. They also interviewed neighbours but did not find any other people with Zika symptoms.
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Grupo LATAM says the policy applies to Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, French Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Suriname and Venezuela.
“It was first detected in the Zika forest of Uganda in 1947, but is now thought to have spread through most of South and Central America, and the Caribbean”.
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According to Boraston, the Aedes mosquito bites during the day, and she recommends wearing long sleeves, loose-fitted clothing and light colours (mosquitos are attracted to dark colours).
