Zika virus outbreak ‘likely to spread through the Americas’ says WHO

The mosquito-borne Zika virus, which is suspected of causing brain damage to babies in Brazil, is likely to spread to all countries in the Americas except for Canada and Chile, the World Health Organization said today. The rapid spread of the disease to 21 countries and territories of the region since May 2015 is due to a lack of immunity among the population and the prevalence of the Aedes aegypti mosquito that carries the virus, according to a WHO statement. Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador and Jamaica last week recommended women delay pregnancies until more was known about the virus.

Although a causal link between Zika infection in pregnancy and microcephaly has not, and I must emphasise, has not been established, the circumstantial evidence is suggestive and extremely worrisome.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan

Brazil’s Health Ministry in November confirmed the Zika virus was linked to a foetal deformation known as microcephaly, in which infants are born with smaller-than-usual brains. Brazil has reported 3,893 suspected cases of microcephaly, the WHO said last Friday, more than 30 times more than had been reported in any year since 2010. Pregnant women planning to travel to areas where Zika is circulating are advised to consult a healthcare provider before travelling and on return.

Zika