Berlin (dpa) – An uptick in birth malformations thought to be connected to the Zika virus outbreak across the Americas constitutes a health emergency of international concern, World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan (pic) said Monday in Geneva.
World Health Organzation chief Margaret Chan speaks during a press conference following an International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee meeting concerning the Zika virus in Geneva. The Zika virus outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, the World Health Organization said.
A WHO board of 18 medical experts and advisors sees a connection between the virus and a jump in the number of cases of babies born with undersize skulls, or microcephaly, Chan said.
“The strong connection between Zika and microcephaly is enough to declare a public health emergency due to the heavy burden for the parents,” Chan said.
The Zika virus is thought to cause birth malformations through mother-to-child transmission, with some 4,180 babies born with unusually small heads amid the Brazilian outbreak.
WHO officials have said there may have been 1.5 million Zika cases in Brazil, where the outbreak started last year, and that the number of cases in the Americas could grow to 4 million within 12 months.
The committee found no public health justification for restrictions on travel or trade to prevent the spread of the virus, but pregnant women should take precautions.
“If [pregnant women] can avoid travel, then that’s a measure. … If you have to travel, you can wear long sleeves, long pants and mosquito repellents.”
The lack of vaccinations and rapid, reliable diagnostic testing, as well as an absence of population immunity in newly affected countries, are causes for concern, Chan said.
“All agree on the urgent need to coordinate international efforts,” Chan said.
Experts agree that a causal relationship between the Zika virus during pregnancy and microcephaly is strongly suspected, but not yet scientifically proven, Chan said.
The WHO last declared an international health emergency in August 2014 with West Africa’s Ebola outbreak, allowing the organization to issue rules to combat the epidemic.
