WHO warns zika virus could spread to Africa, Asia, Europe.

The World Health Organization, WHO, has warned that Africa, Asia and parts of Southern Europe are susceptible to the spread of the zika virus.

Anthony Costello, WHO Director for Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, said on Wednesday in Geneva, Switzerland that if it was confirmed that the mosquitoes that carried Zika virus were present in Africa, parts of southern Europe and Asia, particularly South Asia, then there could be a problem.

He said that as a precautionary measure, WHO has declared an international public health emergency due to Zika’s link to thousands of recent birth defects in Brazil.

Costello said that the WHO has set up a global response team to harness the experiences learned from the ebola crisis to fashion a solution to the zika problem.

He said that the organization was concerned that zika could spread to other areas of the world where the populations have not developed immunity to the virus.

He disclosed that the WHO was working on guidelines for pregnant women and a definition of microcephaly including a standardised measurement of baby heads.

He advised that mass community engagement in areas with the mosquitoes and their breeding grounds, and rapid development of diagnostic tools are essential to containing the virus, since the development of a vaccine could still be years away.

NAN