The World Health Organisation on Monday declared the mosquito-borne Zika virus to be an global public health emergency as the disease linked to thousands of birth defects in Brazil spreads rapidly.
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He advised pregnant women or women planning to become pregnant to consider delaying travel to areas with the Zika virus.
Queensland was already researching whether any other mosquitoes other than the Aedes variety, which is also responsible for the spread of dengue fever, can spread the deadly disease. An estimated 80% of those infected suffer no symptoms whatsoever.
The unprecedented warning, issued just over six months from the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, came after the World Health Organization declared an emergency over the mosquito-borne virus, suspected of causing microcephaly, or abnormally small heads, in babies.
The CDC claimed that it is doing everything to contain the virus by supporting the efforts of the affected countries to on their mosquito control strategies.
The WHO is under pressure to act quickly in the fight against Zika, after admitting it was slow to respond to the recent Ebola outbreak that ravaged parts of West Africa and killed more than 11,300 people.
It’s bringing more of a concern for those traveling to the areas infected with the virus while pregnant.
Meanwhile, India has also warned pregnant women to avoid travel to countries that are battling Zika outbreak.
The Health Ministry remains on high alert for signs of the potentially devastating Zika virus in Cyprus. The outbreaks of Zika virus disease have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific.
The WHO’s briefing overnight made clear that the emergency of worldwide concern is not for Zika itself, but for the cluster of microcephaly cases and its suspected link to the Zika virus.
In Brazil there have been some 4,000 cases of the condition reported since October.
Rousseff signed a temporary decree on Monday that makes it obligatory for residents to allow health workers to inspect their homes and properties for still water deposits where the Aedes aegypti mosquito lays its eggs. “The situation is serious and worrying”, Castro said. That means we could see cases here.
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The southeastern regional government of Murcia said Tuesday that tests carried out by the National Microbiology Center confirmed the case of a man treated two weeks ago at a regional hospital after visiting an unspecified country affected by the virus.
