Pregnant woman who do travel to those countries and develop symptoms should consult with a doctor and consider being tested for Zika. Other uncertainties surround the incubation period of the virus and how Zika interacts with other viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes such as dengue. Thursday, it warned the virus is spreading “explosively” with three to four million cases of Zika infection possible in the Americas over the next year. Zika virus infections have been confirmed in infants with microcephaly and in the current outbreak in Brazil, a marked increase in the number of infants born with microcephaly has been reported.
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“It was inevitable that cases of imported Zika would arrive to Peru”, Velasquez said at a news conference.
Nigeria is now trying to contain Lassa Fever that has claimed over 40 lives across the country, with the latest deaths occurring in Lagos and Ebonyi States.
GENEVA (AP) – The World Health Organization has announced that the explosive spread of the Zika virus in the Americas is an “extraordinary event” that merits being declared an worldwide emergency.
The WHO’s Western Pacific Region Office in Manila said as long as Aedes mosquitoes circulated in the region “it can be anticipated that the virus will emerge”.
He said: “Brazil and South America generally have other flaviviruses – a few years ago there was a virus called chikungunya and it was thought Zika would probably be similar to this”.
There is some concern that the Zika virus can be spread through blood, so the Canadian Blood Services says it is considering changes to some policies, such as denying donations from anyone who have recently visited the affected countries.
There is no vaccine, although Canadian researchers are among those seeking one.
Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus primarily transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes.
Tam notes the risk of sexual transmission of Zika is considered low, but adds more information is needed.
Health agencies investigating the Zika outbreaks are finding an increasing body of evidence about the link between Zika virus and microcephaly, a condition of abnormally small head in babies. They also agreed to prioritize building national, regional and global networks to fight the threat from infectious diseases more broadly.
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Kohl said it was not known whether the Zika virus had mutated in some way, or if it was some kind of environmental factor influencing how it was affecting people. Canadian Blood Services has asked potential donors who have traveled outside of Canada, the United States and Europe to postpone donations for one month after returning. Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon.
