niman Posted March 8, 2016 Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 Pregnant women should be advised not travel to areas of ongoing Zika virus outbreaks; pregnant women whose sexual partners live in or travel to areas with Zika virus outbreaks should ensure safe sexual practices or abstain from sex for the duration of their pregnancy.http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2016/2nd-emergency-committee-zika/en/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted March 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 WHO statement on the 2nd meeting of IHR Emergency Committee on Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformationsWHO statement 8 March 2016The second meeting of the Emergency Committee (EC) convened by the Director-General under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR 2005) regarding clusters of microcephaly cases and other neurological disorders in some areas affected by Zika virus was held by teleconference on 8 March 2016, from 13:00 to 16:45 Central European Time.The WHO Secretariat briefed the Committee on action in implementing the Temporary Recommendations issued by the Director-General on 1 February 2016, and on clusters of microcephaly and Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) that have had a temporal association with Zika virus transmission. The Committee was provided with additional data from observational, comparative and experimental studies on the possible causal association between Zika virus infection, microcephaly and GBS.The following States Parties provided information on microcephaly, GBS and other neurological disorders occurring in the presence of Zika virus transmission: Brazil, Cabo Verde, Colombia, France, and the United States of America.The Committee noted the new information from States Parties and academic institutions in terms of case reports, case series, 1 case control study (GBS) and 1 cohort study (microcephaly) on congenital abnormalities and neurologic disease in the presence of Zika virus infection. It reinforced the need for further work to generate additional evidence on this association and to understand any inconsistencies in data from countries. The Committee advised that the clusters of microcephaly cases and other neurological disorders continue to constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), and that there is increasing evidence that there is a causal relationship with Zika virus.The Committee provided the following advice to the Director-General for her consideration to address the PHEIC, in accordance with IHR (2005).Microcephaly, other neurological disorders and Zika virusResearch into the relationship between new clusters of microcephaly, other neurological disorders, including GBS, and Zika virus, should be intensified.Particular attention should be given to generating additional data on the genetic sequences and clinical effect of different Zika virus strains, studying the neuropathology of microcephaly, conducting additional case-control and cohort studies in other and more recently infected settings, and developing animal models for experimental studies.Research on the natural history of Zika virus infection should be expedited, including on the rates of asymptomatic infection, the implications of asymptomatic infection, particularly with respect to pregnancy, and the persistence of virus excretion.Retrospective and prospective studies of the rates of microcephaly and other neurological disorders should be conducted in other areas known to have had Zika virus transmission but where such clusters were not observed.Research should continue to explore the possibility of other causative factors or co-factors for the observed clusters of microcephaly and other neurological disorders.To facilitate this research and ensure the most rapid results:surveillance for microcephaly and GBS should be standardized and enhanced, particularly in areas of known Zika virus transmission and areas at risk,work should begin on the development of a potential case definition for ‘congenital Zika infection’,clinical, virologic and epidemiologic data related to the increased rates of microcephaly and/or GBS, and Zika virus transmission, should be rapidly shared with the World Health Organization to facilitate international understanding of the these events, to guide international support for control efforts, and to prioritize further research and product development.SurveillanceSurveillance for and notification of Zika virus infection should be enhanced with the dissemination of standard case definitions and diagnostics to areas of transmission and at-risk areas; newly infected areas should undertake the vector control measures outlined below.Vector controlVector surveillance, including the determination of mosquito vector species and their sensitivity to insecticides, should be enhanced to strengthen risk assessments and vector control measures.Vector control measures and appropriate personal protective measures should be aggressively promoted and implemented to reduce the risk of exposure to Zika virus.Countries should strengthen vector control measures in the long term and the Director-General of WHO should explore the use of IHR mechanisms, and consider bringing this to a forthcoming World Health Assembly, as means to better engage countries on this issue.Risk communicationsRisk communications should be enhanced in countries with Zika virus transmission to address population concerns, enhance community engagement, improve reporting, and ensure application of vector control and personal protective measures.These measures should be based on an appropriate assessment of public perception, knowledge and information; the impact of risk communication measures should be rigorously evaluated to guide their adaptation and improve their impact.Attention should be given to ensuring women of childbearing age and particularly pregnant women have the necessary information and materials to reduce risk of exposure.Information on the risk of sexual transmission, and measures to reduce that risk, should be available to people living in and returning from areas of reported Zika virus transmission.Clinical carePregnant women who have been exposed to Zika virus should be counselled and followed for birth outcomes based on the best available information and national practice and policies,In areas of known Zika virus transmission, health services should be prepared for potential increases in neurological syndromes and/or congenital malformations.Travel measuresThere should be no general restrictions on travel or trade with countries, areas and/or territories with Zika virus transmission.Pregnant women should be advised not travel to areas of ongoing Zika virus outbreaks; pregnant women whose sexual partners live in or travel to areas with Zika virus outbreaks should ensure safe sexual practices or abstain from sex for the duration of their pregnancy.Travellers to areas with Zika virus outbreaks should be provided with up to date advice on potential risks and appropriate measures to reduce the possibility of exposure to mosquito bites and, upon return, should take appropriate measures, including safe sex, to reduce the risk of onward transmission.The World Health Organization should regularly update its guidance on travel with evolving information on the nature and duration of risks associated with Zika virus infection.Standard WHO recommendations regarding vector control at airports should be implemented in keeping with the IHR (2005). Countries should consider the disinsection of aircraft.Research & product developmentThe development of new diagnostics for Zika virus infection should be prioritized to facilitate surveillance and control measures, and especially the management of pregnancy.Research, development and evaluation of novel vector control measures should be pursued with particular urgency.Research and development efforts should also be intensified for Zika virus vaccines and therapeutics in the medium term.Based on this advice the Director-General declared the continuation of the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The Director-General endorsed the Committee’s advice and issued them as Temporary Recommendations under IHR (2005). The Director-General thanked the Committee Members and Advisors for their advice. Share PrintMicrocephaly/Zika virus » This page links all WHO information to its response on the Public Health Emergency of International Concern.Related linksWHO Director-General addresses media after Zika Emergency CommitteeMore on the IHR Emergency Committee and MembersWhat is the IHR Emergency Committee and what is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern?pdf, 243kbZika virus disease fact sheetQuestions and answers on Zika virus diseaseFull coverage of the Zika virus disease situationWHO's work on MicrocephalyKey facts: Microcephaly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted March 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 WHO advises pregnant women to avoid travel to Zika-affected areasTuesday, March 08, 2016 12:28 p.m. CSTBy Stephanie Nebehay and Tom MilesGENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) advised pregnant women on Tuesday not to travel to areas with ongoing outbreaks of Zika virus due to the potential risk of birth defects.It said sexual transmission was "relatively common" and that health services in Zika -affected areas should be ready for potential increases in cases of neurological syndromes such as microcephaly and congenital malformations."Pregnant women whose sexual partners live in or travel to areas with Zika virus outbreaks should ensure safe sexual practices or abstain from sex for the duration of their pregnancy," the WHO said in a statement, based on advice from its Emergency Committee of independent experts.Previously the U.N. health agency had advised women to consider deferring non-essential travel to areas with ongoing transmission of the mosquito-borne virus, which is spreading through Latin America, including Olympics host Brazil.The link between Zika and babies born with small heads and developmental problems, as well as Guillain-Barre syndrome which can cause paralysis, has not been proven scientifically but studies point in that direction, it said."Clearly Zika infection during pregnancy will produce very bad outcomes," WHO director-general Margaret Chan told a news conference. "It is important we recommend strong public health measures and not wait until we have definitive proof."David Heymann, who chairs the WHO Emergency Committee set up on February 1, said of the recommendation: "The onus is on countries to identify and report where they have outbreaks and where they don't."The WHO did not recommend any general trade or travel restrictions. But it said that existing mechanisms under the WHO's International Health Regulations should be explored, including recommendations that airports be sprayed to eliminate mosquitoes and their breeding grounds."We can expect more cases and further geographical spread," Chan said. "Sexual transmission is more common than previously assumed."Bruce Aylward, WHO Executive Director for Outbreaks and Emergencies, told reporters that sexual transmission had only been documented as spreading from men to women."There's no evidence of women-to-men (transmission), so this dead-ends," he said.(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay and Tom Miles; writing by Stephanie Nebehay; editing by Gareth Jones)http://whbl.com/news/articles/2016/mar/08/who-calls-for-zika-research-says-pregnant-women-should-not-travel-to-affected-areas/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted March 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 7:02am March 9, 2016Zika Virus: WHO issues official travel warning to pregnant women advising them not to visit outbreak areas By 9NEWSPregnant women have been officially advised by the World Health Organisation not to travel to areas affected by the Zika virus outbreak. (AAP)FTBAThe World Health Organization (WHO) has advised pregnant women not to travel to areas affected by the Zika virus outbreak, amid mounting evidence Zika can cause birth defects. "Pregnant women should be advised not travel to areas of ongoing Zika virus outbreaks," the UN agency said in a statement released after an emergency committee meeting on the rapid spread of the mosquito-borne virus.Previous WHO guidelines called for pregnant to be warned of the risk of travel to Zika-hit areas. WHO noted the link between Zika and microcephaly, a severe deformation of the brain among newborns, has not yet been definitively proven.The Zika virus has been connected with microcephaly, a sever deformation of the brain among newborns. (AAP)But WHO chief Margaret Chan told reporters "we do not have to wait until we have definitive proof" before advising pregnant women against travel."Microcephaly is now only one of several documented birth abnormalities associated with Zika infection during pregnancy," she said."Grave outcomes include foetal death, placental insufficiency, foetal growth retardation, and injury to the central nervous system."Chan described the latest research on Zika as "alarming", including growing evidence the virus causes the severe neurological disorder Guillain-Barre Syndrome.According to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade the Zika virus is active in the following countries:American SamoaArubaBarbadosBoliviaBrazilColombiaCape VerdeCosta RicaCuraçaoDominican RepublicEcuadorEl SalvadorFrench GuianaGuadelopeGuatemalaGuyanaHaitiHondurasJamaicaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMexicoNicaraguaPanamaParaguayPuerto RicoSaint MartinSint MaartenSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSurinameThailandTongaTrinidad and TobagoUS Virgin IslandsVenezuelaRead more at http://www.9news.com.au/health/2016/03/09/07/02/who-advises-pregnant-women-not-to-travel-to-zika-oubreak-areas#1tl6VblqLRkDumcd.99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted March 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 WHO issues travel warning for pregnant women as Zika concerns growFRENCH PRESS AGENCY - AFPGENEVAPublished17 hours ago The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday issued stricter precautions for pregnant women in Zika areas, citing growing evidence that the viral disease causes a range of neurological problems in unborn children."Pregnant women should be advised not [to] travel to areas of ongoing Zika virus outbreaks," the Geneva-based UN health agency said.Pregnant women whose partners live in such regions or travel there should use condoms or abstain from sex until they give birth, it added.WHO had previously advised only that women consult their doctors before taking such trips, and that they protect themselves from mosquito bites if they decide to travel to infection areas.Zika, which normally causes only mild flu symptoms, is mainly transmitted by mosquitoes. There is also a very small number of known cases in which men infected women by having sex.WHO chief Margaret Chan stopped short of recommending that women in the main outbreak areas in Latin American should not get pregnant.But she said that "it makes a lot of sense" to give women information so that they can make choices about pregnancies, and to give them access to contraception. "Zika infections can have very bad outcomes," the WHO director general said."We can now conclude that the Zika virus is neurotropic," she said, meaning that it attacks the nervous system.In Brazil, which has recorded the highest number of Zika infections, health authorities have reported a rising number of microcephaly cases, a condition in which babies are born with unusually small brains and skulls.While it has been obvious that the Zika outbreak has correlated with a surge in such birth malformations, scientists have been unable to establish a clear link.However, national health agencies and laboratories had provided new information over the past month showing "that there is increasing evidence that there is a causal relationship with Zika virus," a WHO expert panel concluded Tuesday.The virus has now been linked not only to microcephaly, but also to foetal death, foetal growth problems and other neurological problems, Chan said.So far, Zika outbreaks and birth defects have correlated only in Brazil and French Polynesia, but there has been a report of microcephaly cases also from Colombia, Chan acknowledged, adding that WHO was currently trying to get more information from that country."What we see in Brazil now is what could occur in Colombia and other countries in the next few months, and it is very alarming," said David Heymann, who chairs the emergency expert committee that advises WHO on Zika.Other countries in Latin America had started watching out for birth defects only after the Brazilian cases had become known, and it would take months until mothers who are currently infected with Zika will give birth, he said, explaining the time lag.Heymann's emergency committee urged the scientific community to step up research into the virus.Researchers are meeting at WHO this week in Geneva to identify the most promising vaccine candidates and diagnostic tools for this poorly understood disease.In addition, the emergency committee said development of new mosquito control measures should be stepped up "with particular urgency."The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tuesday decided to transfer technology to Latin America that will allow countries to sterilize mosquitoes by irradiating them, in order to reduce their reproduction rate."When you control the population of mosquitoes, you are actually controlling the virus," said deputy IAEA chief Aldo Malavasi.http://www.dailysabah.com/health/2016/03/08/who-issues-travel-warning-for-pregnant-women-as-zika-concerns-grow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted March 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 Zika virus: Pregnant women told NOT to travel to areas affected by epidemic20:28, 8 MAR 2016UPDATED 21:34, 8 MAR 2016BY ANTHONY BONDThe World Health Organisation also said authorities should also be prepared for more cases of the infection and over a wider geographical area SHARES COMMENTSSubscribe GettyPregnant women have been told not to visit areas affected by Zika virusPregnant women should not travel to areas affected by Zika virus outbreaks, the World Health Organisation said.Authorities should also be prepared for more cases of the infection and over a wider geographical area, the organisation's director general Dr Margaret Chan told reporters.However, the Emergency Committee (EC) on Zika virus, which met today, said there should be no wider general ban on travel or trade with Zika-affected countries.In a statement after the meeting the WHO said: "Pregnant women should be advised not to travel to areas of ongoing Zika virus outbreaks; pregnant women whose sexual partners live in or travel to areas with Zika virus outbreaks should ensure safe sexual practices or abstain from sex for the duration of their pregnancy."READ MORE: Zika virus 'may cause rare neurological disorder that can paralyse and KILL' Have your say in our comments section below REUTERS/Josue DecaveleA female Aedes aegypti mosquito which has been at the centre of the spread of the Zika virus At a press conference at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Dr Chan said: "Local transmission has now been reported in 31 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean."In this region, cases of dengue, which is carried by the same mosquito species as Zika, typically increase during the rainy season, which lasts from January to May."We can expect to see more cases and further geographical spread."Zika has been linked with brain defects in unborn children and Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), a rare neurological disorder that can paralyse and kill.As well as being spread by mosquito bites there have also been cases where it has been transmitted sexually.Public Health England says there have been 10 cases of Zika diagnosed in UK travellers who had returned from South America and the Caribbean.http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/zika-virus-pregnant-women-told-7519514 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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