WHO News

Between 1 and 16 February 2016, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 6 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, including 3 deaths. Contact tracing of household and healthcare contacts is ongoing for these cases.View the full article

On 18 February 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of Trinidad and Tobago notified PAHO/WHO of the country’s first case of Zika virus infection. The patient is a 61-year-old female who reported fever and rash on 10 February. The patient’s blood sample was taken on 13 February and, on 17 February, was confirmed to be positive for Zika virus by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) laboratory.View the full article

Psychosocial support for pregnant women and for families with microcephaly and other neurological complications in the context of Zika virusInterim guidance for health-care providersShare PrintAuthors: World Health Organization Publication detailsNumber of pages: 18 Publication date: 26 February 2016 Languages: English WHO reference number:WHO/ZIKV/MOC/16.6 DownloadsPsychosocial support for pregnant women and for families with microcephaly and other neurological complications in the context of Zika virus pdf, 1.18Mb http://who.int/csr/resources/publications/zika/psychosocial-support/en/

http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/204491/1/zikasitrep_26Feb2016_eng.pdf

Assessment of infants with microcephaly in the context of Zika virusInterim guidanceShare PrintAuthors: World Health Organization Publication detailsNumber of pages: 2 Publication date: 25 February 2016 Languages: English WHO reference number:WHO/ZIKV/MOC/16.3 DownloadsAssessment of infants with microcephaly in the context of Zika virushttp://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/zika/assessment-infants/en/

Zika data collected by Brazil help other countries address the virus, says Margaret ChanJanuary 24, 2016 - The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) returned to praise the research and actions undertaken by Brazil in relation to zika virus and its possible consequences, during a press conference held on Wednesday (24), the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), in Rio de Janeiro. The Director-General of WHO, Margaret Chan, said that the data collected by Brazil and transparency of the country to share them help other countries address the virus. "This allows us to pass on this information to all Member States". The director of PAHO, C…

Zika and sexual transmissionOnline Q&A 25 February 2016 Can Zika be transmitted through sex? Possibly. Zika virus is primarily transmitted via the Aedes mosquito, but some cases of what appears to be transmission by sex have also been recorded. How can people protect themselves? All people who have been infected with Zika virus and their sexual partners – particularly pregnant women – should receive information about the risks of sexual transmission of Zika virus, contraceptive options and safer sexual practices. When feasible, they should have access to condoms and use them correctly and consistently. Women who have had unprotected sex and suspect they may be infecte…

Breastfeeding in the context of Zika virusInterim guidanceShare PrintAuthors: World Health Organization Publication detailsNumber of pages: 2 Publication date: 25 February 2016 Languages: English WHO reference number:WHO/ZIKV/MOC/16.5 DownloadsBreastfeeding in the context of Zika virus

Identification and management of Guillain-Barré syndrome in the context of Zika virusInterim guidanceShare PrintAuthors: World Health Organization Publication detailsNumber of pages: 3 Publication date: 25 February 2016 Languages: English WHO reference number:WHO/ZIKV/MOC/16.4 DownloadsIdentification and management of Guillain-Barré syndrome in the context of Zika virus

On 23 February 2016, the Department of Health (DH), Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) notified WHO of an additional laboratory-confirmed case of human infection with avian influenza A (H7N9) virus. The patient, a resident of Hong Kong SAR, China, is a 60-year-old man with previously good health condition. On February 8, he developed symptoms and, on 11 February, consulted a private doctor. The patient was then admitted to hospital. His nasopharyngeal aspirate collected on 12 February initially tested negative for influenza A virus. On 15 February, the patient was discharged. On 23 February, re-testing of the sample taken on 12 February tested positive for in…

On 13 February 2016, the National IHR Focal Point (IHR NFP) of Uruguay notified PAHO/WHO a case of dengue. The case is a 31-year-old female from Montevideo who developed fever and joint pain on 5 February. On 9 February, she sought medical attention and, on the same day, her samples were collected for laboratory testing. The samples tested positive for dengue by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The patient remained hospitalized for two days and, at discharge, was in good health conditions. The patient has no history of travel outside of Uruguay. View the full article

Between 6 and 16 February 2016, the National IHR Focal Point (NFP) of Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) notified WHO of 3 additional cases of vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (VDPV1). Neither of the two cases received oral polio vaccine (OPV). On 3 February 2016, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan reported that stool samples for both cases tested positive for type 1 circulating vaccine-derived polio virus (cVDPV1). There is no epidemiological link between the two cases.View the full article

Between 15 and 16 February 2016, WHO was notified of the first autochthonous cases of Zika virus infection on the islands of Bonaire and Aruba. These islands are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and are situated in the southern part of the Caribbean region, just north of the Venezuelan coast. Aruba is an autonomous, self-governing constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, while Bonaire is a special municipality of the Netherlands. On 15 February, the National IHR Focal Point (IHR NFP) for the Netherlands reported one case of Zika virus infection in Bonaire. The case was confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on 12 Februar…

ZIKA VIRUS MICROCEPHALY AND GUILLAIN-BARRÉ SYNDROME SITUATION REPORT 19 FEBRUARY 2016 http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/204454/1/zikasitrep_19Feb2016_eng.pdf

Audio file http://terrance.who.int/mediacentre/presser/WHO-RUSH_Zika_virus_update_presser_UNOG_19FEB2016.mp3

Dispelling rumours around Zika and microcephaly19 February 2016 No evidence that vaccines cause microcephaly in babiesThere is no evidence linking any vaccine to the increases in microcephaly cases that were observed first in French Polynesia during the 2013-2014 outbreak and more recently in northeastern Brazil. No evidence that vaccines cause microcephaly in babies An extensive review of the literature published in 2014 found no evidence that any vaccine administered during pregnancy resulted in birth defects. The Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety, which provides independent scientific advice to the World Health Organization (WHO) on vaccine safety issues, rea…

Maintaining a safe and adequate blood supply during Zika virus outbreaks, interim guidance Share PrintAuthors: World Health Organization Publication detailsNumber of pages: 4 Publication date: February 2016 Languages: English ISBN: WHO/ZIKV/HS/16.1 DownloadsMaintaining a safe and adequate blood supply during Zika virus outbreaks Adobe PDF, 283.97 kB

On 25 January 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of Benin notified WHO of an outbreak of Lassa fever. The outbreak was initially detected on 21 January following reports of unexplained fever within a cluster of health workers from the district of Tchaourou, Borgou department. On 3 January, these health workers provided care to a patient suffering from haemorrhagic fever. View the full article

Prevention of potential sexual transmission of Zika virus, interim guidance Share PrintAuthors: World Health Organization Publication detailsNumber of pages: 2 Publication date: 18 February 2016 Languages: English ISBN: WHO/ZIKV/MOC/16.1 http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/zika/sexual-transmission-prevention/en/

ZIKA STRATEGIC RESPONSE FRAMEWORK & JOINT OPERATIONS PLAN JANUARY-JUNE 2016 http://who.int/emergencies/zika-virus/strategic-response-framework.pdf?ua=1

esEmergenciesMosquito control: can it stop Zika at source?Aedes aegypti, the principal mosquito species that transmits the Zika, dengue, and chikungunya viruses, has a number of breeding and behavioural quirks that make it extremely difficult to control.This article looks at conventional and new techniques for control and summarizes WHO guidance. http://www.who.int/emergencies/zika-virus/articles/mosquito-control/en/

Microcephalyhttp://www.who.int/emergencies/zika-virus/microcephaly/en/