Is Zika on our Doorstep?

Three months ago, most people had never heard of the Zika virus. Today, it makes global headlines on a daily basis. Earlier this month, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a ‘public health emergency of international concern,’ marking only the fourth time an outbreak has been given such a designation in WHO’s history. The label is given to extraordinary events that endanger public health and constitute a risk to other states through the worldwide spread of a disease and potentially require a coordinated, international response. Even though the Zika virus has been known since 1947, the alarm has only been sounded now after some newly-infected areas have witnessed an insurgence in clusters of microcephaly—an unusually small head—in newborns and other neurological disorders. At this point, we cannot be certain the virus is the cause of the disorders. But because there has not yet been any other clear explanation for these clusters, WHO is urging everyone to take strong measures to reduce the risk of infection with the Zika virus, particularly among pregnant women and women of childbearing age. Most of those infected with the Zika virus disease experience mild fever, skin rash and conjunctivitis (red eyes), and muscle and joint pains. The virus is spread by the Aedes mosquito, the same type that transmits dengue, yellow fever, West Nile fever and Chikungunya. This mosquito exists in several countries in the Middle East, so if travelers returning from affected c...
Source: WHO EMRO News - Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news