'Zika Epidemic' could spread to Africa – WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that ‘mosquito-borne Zika virus’ could spread rapidly across the globe to parts of Southeast Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, southern Europe and southern parts of the United States, Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, said in a statement on Friday. The organisation will meet on Monday in Geneva to decide whether to declare it an international health emergency. An emergency committee is to assess on Monday in Geneva on the appropriate level of international concern and on recommended measures to be undertaken in affected countries and elsewhere as well as prioritizing areas where research is most urgently needed, Chan said. “Last year, the virus was detected in the Americas, where it is now spreading explosively. As of today, cases have been reported in 23 countries and territories in that region and it has the potential to spread further to other countries, affecting poorer nations,” Chan said. Zika virus is an emerging mosquito-borne virus that was first identified in Uganda in Zika forest in 1947 in rhesus monkeys and identified in humans in 1952. Virus disease outbreaks were reported for the first time from the Pacific in 2007 and 2013 (Yap and French Polynesia, respectively) and in 2015 in the Americas where more than 4 million people might be affected this year from about 1.5 million. Zika virus is linked to thousands of birth abnormalities in Latin America and Who experts warned that a vaccine may take years to develop. The most common symptoms of Zika virus are headache, muscle and joint pain, mild fever, rash, and inflammation of the underside of the eyelid. To lower the risk of being infected with Zika virus it is advised to use insect repellent, cover as much of the body, clean or cover containers that can hold water to remove places mosquitoes can breed and sleep under mosquito nets as the best form of prevention is protection against mosquito bites. Health ministry reassures Rwandans The Ministry of Health has said Rwandans should not be concerned with Zika Virus as they have established strategies of preventing it entering Rwanda. Rwanda is among the sub-Saharan African countries, the region said to be at risk of the epidemic if measures are not taken to prevent its entry. Nathan Mugume, the spokesman of the Health Ministry said the two strategies are searching information about the disease and informing people about how they can behave. Mugume added that this will start with people who like travelling in affected countries. “ We have surveillance systems like the ones we used to against Ebola. From next week we will be informing people especially travelers on prevention and urgent action when any symptoms are detected .Our health experts are monitoring the development of the disease,” Mugume said. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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'Zika Epidemic' could spread to Africa – WHO