The United Nations agency, acting on advice from independent experts led by Dr David Heymann, said in a statement that pregnant women “should be advised not to travel to areas with ongoing Zika virus outbreaks ” , but did not recommend any general trade or travel restrictions”.
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There have been fewer than a handful of reported cases of sexual transmission.
The WHO has made a strong effort to get ahead of the Zika virus after bungling the organization’s early response to the Ebola virus, which killed more than 11,000 people.
“Until a few months ago, no one had any idea that Zika could cause birth defects”, CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden told reporters Tuesday during his trip.
“Microcephaly is now only one of several documented birth abnormalities associated with Zika infection during pregnancy”, she said.
Zika, an infectious viral illness, is primarily spread through the bite of a mosquito that carries the virus.
Global health officials are racing to better understand the Zika virus behind a major outbreak that began in Brazil previous year and has since spread to many countries in the Americas. They said there has been a growing body of evidence linking the virus to microcephaly after it was found in amniotic fluid.
Despite the lack of definitive evidence proving that Zika causes birth defects and neurological problems, Chan said officials should not wait for definitive scientific proof before making recommendations.
NEW YORK (AP) – Nearly 200 cases of Zika infection have been reported in the USA – all traced to travel overseas.
· Based on reports of possible Zika transmission through sexual contact, CDC has suggested that pregnant women avoid sexual contact with men who have recently returned from areas with Zika transmission or consistently and correctly use condoms during sex for the duration of the pregnancy.
The experience of Brazil in the management of microcephaly and Guillain-Barre Syndrome is being shared during this mission, along with discussions on surveillance protocols and the preparation of health services for surveillance and patient care, particularly for those with severe neurological manifestations related to Zika.
However, in 2015, Brazilian authorities linked an outbreak of Zika with a sharp rise in the number of babies born with microcephaly that year.
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A rise in microcephaly and other baby malformations has so far “only been reported in Brazil and French Polynesia ” , according to the WHO, which has declared this a health emergency.
