The World Health Organization will convene an emergency committee on the international response to the Zika virus outbreak that is supected of a link to birth defects in Brazil, WHO chief Margaret Chan said on Thursday.
Chan said the disease had gone from a mild threat to one of “alarming proportions“, and the committee would help determine the appropriate level of international response and research priorities.
The Zika virus is strongly suspected of causing birth defects and may infect 3-4 million people in the Americas, including 1.5 million in Brazil, a World Health Organization expert said on Thursday.
Marcos Espinal, head of communicable diseases at PAHO — the WHO’s Americas arm — said a study would soon be published suggesting a correlation between Zika and microcephaly — babies born with small heads and brains — in Brazil.
“We don’t know yet if this virus crosses the placenta and generates or causes microcephaly. We think it plays a role.
There’s no doubt about that,” he told the WHO’s executive board meeting in Geneva.
WHO emergency committee to meet on Zika on Feb 1
The World Health Organization will convene an emergency committee on the international response to the Zika virus outbreak that is supected of a link to birth defects in Brazil, WHO chief Margaret Chan said on Thursday.
Chan said the disease had gone from a mild threat to one of “alarming proportions“, and the committee would help determine the appropriate level of international response and research priorities.
The Zika virus is strongly suspected of causing birth defects and may infect 3-4 million people in the Americas, including 1.5 million in Brazil, a World Health Organization expert said on Thursday.
Marcos Espinal, head of communicable diseases at PAHO — the WHO’s Americas arm — said a study would soon be published suggesting a correlation between Zika and microcephaly — babies born with small heads and brains — in Brazil.
“We don’t know yet if this virus crosses the placenta and generates or causes microcephaly. We think it plays a role.
There’s no doubt about that,” he told the WHO’s executive board meeting in Geneva.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos