Emag.co.uk Entertainment News Leader
Brazil says Zika virus outbreak is worst than believed and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it as a global emergency on Monday due to lack of definitive evidence proving it is causing a surge in newborns with brain defects and abnormally small heads.
The virus was first found in Brazil last year and since then several cases of babies born with microcephaly in the country has been linked.
In an emergency meeting of independent experts on Monday the WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan said, “The committee advised that the clusters of microcephaly and other neurological complications constitute an extraordinary event and public health threat to other parts of the world.”
The rare step of the UN agency even without a definitive evidence comes in view of its sluggish response to the 2014 Ebola crisis in West Africa that was widely criticized. This time WHO is eager to show its responsiveness.
In mid-2014 there were warnings of Ebola going out of control but an emergency was declared months later by WHO and by then about 1,000 people had died.
In Monday’s meeting WHO estimated about 4 million cases of Zika virus could be found by next year. Pregnant women are advised to take several measures and others are suggested to delay getting pregnant if it is not affecting family commitments.
Pregnant women are advised not to travel and take personal protective measures like using mosquito repellent and wearing long sleeves.
Meanwhile, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has advised pregnant women not to travel to Brazil right now.
