The race is on to find a vaccine, as the mosquito-born Zika virus takes hold in the Americas.
Advertisement
For pregnant women, an infection could be serious and impact the health of their babies.
Despite the Zika virus continuing to spread in the Americas, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday that during the winter, the risk of Zika virus transmission in Europe was extremely low.
The disease has spread across South and Central America with a handful of cases being reported in the UK, US and Germany.
There is no current treatment for the virus and it can cause birth defects if the disease is contracted by a pregnant woman.
Venezuela’s medical community is demanding the government publish statistics about the Zika virus and warning it could already be alarmingly widespread.
Brazil has been particularly hard hit by the Zika virus. All the samples tested negative for Zika.
Officials also said additional cases will not come as a surprise.
Zika virus is believed to cause neurological problems like microcephaly, a condition of abnormally small head in babies.
The Ministry also urges Moroccan citizens willing to enter the Zika-affected countries to take proper precautions to protect themselves from the mosquitoes carrying the virus, by using mosquito repellents. Imported cases have been reported in several European countries.
“One is that this mosquito is not here, that transmits these diseases, which is a really good thing”.
“We are focusing on especially strengthening the surveillance system”, said the minister.
The New Zealand Olympic Committee yesterday warned athletes who are pregnant or planning to get pregnant in the near future not to travel to Rio de Janeiro. “It tends to be fever, red eyes, a rash and joint pain”.
Advertisement
“You have multiple countries in South America and in the Caribbean, so by anybody’s definition that would be considered a pandemic”, Fauci told CBS News.
