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1: Eliminate Zika at Its SourceTo eliminate mosquito breeding sites, the state will distribute 100,000 larvicide tablets throughout the target region. Local municipalities, residents and business owners will be challenged to host clean-up days that effectively eliminate standing water. Residents can request tablets by calling 1-888-364-4723. One larvicide tablet lasts two to three months. Aedes mosquitoes breed in containers with clean water. New Yorkers are encouraged to do their part by distributing larvicide tablets in permanent places of standing water, such as flower pots, and removing sources of standing water of all sizes, such as old tires, children's toys, plastic containers and even clogged gutters – especially after it rains. NEXT SECTION Continue 2: Monitor the Aedes Mosquito with Special Trapping and Testing2: Monitor the Aedes Mosquito with Special Trapping and TestingThe state will aggressively monitor the mosquito population by deploying special mosquito traps to collect and test mosquitoes across the region to identify and respond to potential Zika transmission. The state will deploy traps in 1,000 locations per month. Wadsworth Laboratory – already a national leader in Zika testing – will expand its testing capacity to accommodate the additional trapping. The State Department of Health will test 60,000 Aedes mosquitoes per month at Wadsworth in Albany. NEXT SECTION Continue 3: Provide Free Zika Protection Kits to Pregnant Women3: Provide Free Zika Protection Kits to Pregnant WomenThe state will distribute free Zika protection kits to pregnant women in the target region. The Zika protection kits contain educational materials, insect repellent, condoms and larvicide tablets to treat standing water. A total 20,000 kits will initially be distributed to healthcare providers throughout the region. The Zika protection kits complement the state's offering of free Zika testing to all pregnant women who recently traveled to a country with active Zika transmission or have had unprotected sex with a partner who recently traveled to or resides in a country with active Zika transmission. Men who recently traveled or reside in an area with active Zika transmission and have a pregnant partner should use condoms consistently and correctly or abstain from sex throughout the pregnancy. The State Department of Health continues to offer webinars for health care providers on the Zika virus and the care of pregnant women with possible exposure to Zika. Based on current information, infection with Zika at any point in the pregnancy could place the developing fetus at risk. The effect of Zika exposure at different stages of pregnancy on birth defects is not known. NEXT SECTION Continue 4: Deploy Rapid Response Teams4: Deploy Rapid Response TeamsThe state will deploy rapid response teams wherever a case of Zika transmission by an Aedes mosquito is confirmed. The rapid response team will be composed of officials from the State Department of Health, Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Office of Emergency Management to inspect surrounding areas, perform additional treatment and develop a local action plan. NEXT SECTION Continue 5: Issue Emergency Regulations Requiring Local Zika Control Plans5: Issue Emergency Regulations Requiring Local Zika Control PlansThe Commissioner of DOH will issue emergency regulations requiring all local health departments to submit Zika action plans with updated protocols for trapping, testing and control. NEXT SECTION Continue 6. Launch Aggressive Public Awareness Campaign6. Launch Aggressive Public Awareness CampaignA major public awareness campaign will be targeted to New Yorkers across the state, as well as international travelers from Zika-affected areas. The public awareness campaign includes: Multi-lingual posters, brochures and fact sheets to educate travelers about Zika;The Zika Information Helpline: 1-888-364-4723; andThis website dedicated to Zika: www.ny.gov/Zika.To ensure travelers take the necessary precautions to protect themselves against Zika, the state will work with airports in the target region and across New York State to disseminate print materials and broadcast public service announcements to passengers. https://www.ny.gov/zika-new-yorks-action-plan/6-point-action-plan

Governor Cuomo Announces Comprehensive Six-Step Plan to Combat Zika VirusHEALTHPUBLIC SAFETYSHAREZika Action Plan Proactively Limits Potential Outbreak if Local Mosquitoes Begin Transmitting VirusState Distributing 100,000 Larvicide Tablets to Eliminate Zika at its SourceState Deploying Mosquito Traps Across Downstate Region to Identify, Track and Suppress Potential Zika TransmissionGovernor Launches Public Awareness Campaign & Website www.ny.gov/Zika Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a comprehensive six-step action plan to combat potential transmission of the Zika Virus in communities across New York State. The Governor's plan targets the virus at its source – Aedes mosquitoes – with enhanced trapping and testing throughout the entire downstate region. Key components of the plan include distributing larvicide tablets to residents in the potentially Zika affected area, providing Zika protection kits to pregnant women, launching a statewide public awareness campaign, and assembling a rapid response team in the event of confirmed infection by an Aedes mosquito. SHAREThe type of Aedes mosquito that is active in New York is not yet confirmed to be able to transmit the Zika virus, but the possibility remains. The Governor's action plan proactively limits the potential for an outbreak if the Aedes mosquito begins transmitting Zika. Mosquito season is set to begin in April.“The state is taking aggressive action to reduce the risk of Zika transmission in New York,”Governor Cuomo said. “We have put in place a first-in-the-nation action plan that will work to eliminate Zika at its source, reduce potential transmissions and safeguard expectant mothers against this dangerous disease. The state is monitoring the situation closely, and continues to work with all partners to protect the public health.” PHOTOS AUDIO The Governor announced the plan earlier today at a press conference in New York City. More information on the Six-Point NYS Zika Action Plan is available here.Commissioner of Health Dr. Howard Zucker said: “Until we learn more, the best way to prevent microcephaly is to keep pregnant women from being exposed to Zika by not traveling to affected regions, using personal mosquito protection, and doing environmental mosquito control. Pregnant women should also use condoms or practice abstinence during pregnancy if their partner is at risk for Zika.”Zika is a mosquito-borne virus transmitted primarily by the Aedes aegypti mosquito in South and Central America. The virus may also be sexually transmitted. Although Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are not present in New York, a related species named Aedes albopictus is active in the downstate region. Scientists have not yet determined if Aedes albopictus – the type in New York – transmits Zika. There are 70 different species of mosquitoes in New York State; Aedes mosquitoes make up just three to five percent and may transmit Zika. Mosquito season in New York runs from April through September.The greatest danger facing those who contract Zika is a birth defect known as microcephaly. This disease occurs in babies of mothers who are infected with the Zika Virus while pregnant. Zika may also cause a rare disorder called Guillain Barré Syndrome, which can cause temporary paralysis. The World Health Organization declared Zika a public health emergency of international concern in February.The Governor's action plan is designed to specifically target the type of Aedes mosquito active in New York, which has a lifespan of approximately 3 weeks; stays within 200 yards of its birthplace; breeds in small containers of clean water; and exhibits unique habits that help the Aedes mosquito avoid traditional mosquito traps.Six-Step New York State Zika Action PlanView a map of the plan's target region here.1. Eliminate Zika at its Source To eliminate mosquito breeding sites, the state will distribute 100,000 larvicide tablets throughout the target region. Local municipalities, residents and business owners will be challenged to host clean-up days that effectively eliminate standing water. Residents can request tablets by calling 1-888-364-4723. One larvicide tablet lasts two to three months.Aedes mosquitoes breed in containers with clean water. New Yorkers are encouraged to do their part by distributing larvicide tablets in permanent places of standing water, such as flower pots, and removing sources of standing water of all sizes, such as old tires, children's toys, plastic containers and even clogged gutters – especially after it rains.2. Aggressively Monitor the Aedes Mosquito with Special Trapping and TestingThe state will aggressively monitor the mosquito population by deploying special mosquito traps to collect and test mosquitoes across the region to identify and respond to potential Zika transmission. The state will deploy traps in 1,000 locations per month.Wadsworth Laboratory – already a national leader in Zika testing – will expand its testing capacity to accommodate the additional trapping. The State Department of Health will test 60,000 Aedes mosquitoes per month at Wadsworth in Albany.3. Provide Free Zika Protection Kits to Pregnant WomenThe state will distribute free Zika protection kits to pregnant women in the target region. The Zika protection kits contain educational materials, insect repellent, condoms and larvicide tablets to treat standing water. A total 20,000 kits will initially be distributed to healthcare providers throughout the region. A photo of a Zika protection kit is availablehere.The Zika protection kits complement the state's offering of free Zika testing to all pregnant women who recently traveled to a country with active Zika transmission or have had unprotected sex with a partner who recently traveled to or resides in a country with active Zika transmission. Men who recently traveled or reside in an area with active Zika transmission and have a pregnant partner should use condoms consistently and correctly or abstain from sex throughout the pregnancy.The State Department of Health continues to offer webinars for health care providers on the Zika virus and the care of pregnant women with possible exposure to Zika. Based on current information, infection with Zika at any point in the pregnancy could place the developing fetus at risk. The effect of Zika exposure at different stages of pregnancy on birth defects is not known.4. Deploy Rapid Response Teams Wherever Local Transmission is ConfirmedThe state will deploy rapid response teams wherever a case of Zika transmission by an Aedes mosquito is confirmed. The rapid response team will be composed of officials from the State Department of Health, Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Office of Emergency Management to inspect surrounding areas, perform additional treatment and develop a local action plan.5. Issue Emergency Regulations Requiring Local Zika Control Plans Upon Zika ConfirmationThe Commissioner of DOH will issue emergency regulations requiring all local health departments to submit Zika action plans with updated protocols for trapping, testing and control.6. Launch Aggressive Public Awareness CampaignA major public awareness campaign will be targeted to New Yorkers across the state, as well as international travelers from Zika-affected areas.The public awareness campaign includes: Multi-lingual posters, brochures and fact sheets to educate travelers about Zika;The Zika Information Helpline: 1-888-364-4723; andA website dedicated to the Zika Virus: http://ny.gov/Zika.To ensure travelers take the necessary precautions to protect themselves against Zika, the state will work with airports in the target region and across New York State to disseminate print materials and broadcast public service announcements to passengers.Protect Yourself From Mosquito BitesMosquito bites have the potential to transmit diseases, such as West Nile Virus.When going outside, you should protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites by covering up with sleeves and shirts and by using an EPA-registered mosquito repellent.If you have traveled to a country where Zika is being transmitted and begin to experience symptoms, you should consult your healthcare provider to obtain testing for the Zika virus. virus.https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-comprehensive-six-step-plan-combat-zika-virus

New Ebola cases confirmed in Guinea as WHO warns of more possible flare ups18 March 2016 WHO/M. WinklerConakry — WHO has dispatched a team of specialists to the southern prefecture of Nzérékoré after 2 new cases of Ebola were detected and confirmed in a rural village. Guinean health officials in the region alerted WHO and partners on 16 March to 3 unexplained deaths in recent weeks in the village of Koropara and said other members of the same family are currently showing symptoms characteristic of Ebola. Guinea’s Ministry of Health, WHO, the US Centers for Disease Control and UNICEF sent in investigators on 17 March. Samples were taken from 4 individuals. A mother and her 5-year-old son, relatives of the deceased, confirmed positive for Ebola virus disease in lab tests. The 2 have been taken to a treatment facility. In coordination with Guinea’s Ministry of Health, WHO has deployed an initial team of epidemiologists, surveillance experts, vaccinators, social mobilizers, contact tracers and an anthropologist today to support an inter-agency response. More specialists are expected to arrive in the coming days. Response teams will work to investigate the origin of the new infections and to identify, isolate, vaccinate and monitor all contacts of the new cases and those who died. Guinea’s National Emergency Response Centre is convening a meeting 18 March to further coordinate a rapid response to contain the country’s first re-emergence of Ebola since its original outbreak was declared over on 29 December 2015. The new infections in Guinea were confirmed the same day that WHO declared the end of the latest Ebola flare-up in neighbouring Sierra Leone. WHO said recurrences of the disease should be anticipated and that the 3 Ebola-affected countries must maintain strong capacity to prevent, detect and respond to disease outbreaks. “WHO continues to stress that Sierra Leone, as well as Liberia and Guinea, are still at risk of Ebola flare-ups, largely due to virus persistence in some survivors, and must remain on high alert and ready to respond,” WHO said in a statement. The worst Ebola outbreak in history first began in Guinea in December 2013 and has since claimed more than 11 300 lives, mostly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. http://who.int/csr/disease/ebola/new-ebola-cases-confirmed-guinea/en/

Between 9 and 10 March 2016, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 7 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, including 2 deaths.View the full article

On 7 March 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of Argentina notified PAHO/WHO of the first chikungunya outbreak in the country.View the full article

Between 26 February and 08 March 2016 the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 25 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection (MERS-CoV), including 4 fatal cases.View the full article

On 21 February 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of Qatar notified WHO of 1 additional case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection. A 66-year-old, male, Qatari national developed symptoms on 18 February while in Saudi Arabia, where he had stayed for approximately 2 months. On 19 February, the patient sought health care in a hospital in El-Hassa Region, Saudi Arabia, where he was treated symptomatically and discharged. The patient developed additional symptoms on 20 February. On the same day, as his condition deteriorated, the patient was transferred by ambulance to a hospital in Doha, Qatar. The patient, who was a heavy smoker and had comorbidities, tested positive for MERS-CoV on 21 February. He passed away on 7 March.View the full article

Between 17 and 25 February 2016, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 7 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection.View the full article

On 1 March 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of Uruguay provided PAHO/WHO with an update on the country’s ongoing dengue outbreak.View the full article

Dear journalists, Please find here the audio file from the media briefing on IHR Review Committee on Zika virus and neurological syndromes. You can also watch the recording of the live broadcast of the briefing via Facebook Live or Periscope Best regards, WHO Media team

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/pdfs/mm6509e2er.pdf

Members of, and Advisers to, the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee on Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformationsChair of the Emergency Committee on Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations Professor David L. HeymannProfessor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Professor David Heymann is currently professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Head and Senior Fellow, Centre on Global Health Security at Chatham House, London; and chairman of Public Health England, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Previously, he was the World Health Organization's (WHO) Assistant Director-General for Health Security and Environment, and Representative of the Director-General for polio eradication. From 1998 to 2003, he was Executive Director of the WHO Communicable Diseases Cluster, during which he headed the global response to SARS, and prior to that was Director for the WHO programme on Emerging and other Communicable Diseases. Earlier experiences at WHO include chief of research activities in the WHO global programme on AIDS. Before joining WHO he worked for 13 years as a medical epidemiologist in sub-Saharan Africa, on assignment from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where he participated in the first and second outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever, and supported ministries of health in research aimed at better control of malaria, measles, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases. Prior to joining CDC he worked in India for two years as a medical epidemiologist in the WHO smallpox eradication programme. He is an elected fellow of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, United States of America, and the Academy of Medical Sciences, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and has been awarded several public health awards that have provided funding for the establishment of an on-going mentorship programme at the International Association of Public Health Institutes. Dr Fernando AlthabeDirector, Department of Maternal and Child Health Research, Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy, Buenos Aires, Argentina Dr Fernando Althabe, MD, MSc is Adjunct Professor of Public Health at the University of Buenos Aires, Adjunct Associate Professor at the Tulane Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University, Georgia, United States of America, and Director of the Department of Mother and Child Research at the Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy (IECS) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Dr Althabe trained as an obstetrician and has 15 years working as a clinician. He obtained his Master degree in epidemiology from the University of London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. He has considerable experience in designing and conducting multicentre, multinational randomized controlled trials in the implementation of research in maternal and child health. He has conducted cluster, randomized trials to evaluate complex interventions to reduce unnecessary caesarean sections; to increase the use of Active management of the third stage of labour (AMTSL) and reduce episiotomy; to increase the use of brief counselling for tobacco cessation; and to increase the use of antenatal steroids and evaluate their effectiveness. Dr Althabe has extensive experience in teaching research methods and currently coordinates a PhD Program for the University of Buenos Aires in Implementation Research together with Tulane University which is funded by Fogarty International Center, United States of America. Dr Kalpana BaruahJoint Director, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi, India Dr Kalpana Baruah is the Joint Director of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India. Dr Baruah is also the country focal point for dengue and chikungunya; member of WHO Scientific and Technical Advisory Group on Geographical Yellow Fever Risk Mapping (2015); member for the Peer Review of WHO SEARO comprehensive guidelines on Dengue (2010); member of the Expert Group for the establishment and strengthening of Public Health Laboratories in India (2011); and member of the Task Force for the prevention and control of Dengue in Delhi. Dr Baruah is involved in monitoring Aedes breeding in international airports and seaports in India according to the International Health Regulations (IHR). Dr Baruah received a PhD from Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam State, in India. She has more than 29 years of experience in various national programmes such as the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme , the National Centre for Disease Control , and the National Institute of Malarial Research. She was instrumental in developing the Sentinel Surveillance network for Dengue and Chikungunya in the National Programme. She has developed Standard Operating Procedures on malaria microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests which were implemented under the Indian National Programme. Within this programme, she was also involved in the introduction of insecticide treated bed nets for malaria control and the capacity building of programme managers. Dr Baruah has published approximately 30 scientific papers in national and international journals. Dr Silvia BinoAssociate Professor of Infectious Diseases, Head, Control of Infectious Diseases Department, Institute of Public Health, Tirana, Albania Dr Silvia Bino, MD, Ph.D, is the Head of the Control of Infectious Diseases and Immunization Department of the Institute of Public Health and an Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases at the Faculty of Medicine, Tirana University, Albania. She was the Director of National Public Health Institute from 2000-2006. She has coordinated infectious diseases control programmes, (including the immunization programme), helped to establish syndromic based early warning surveillance system, and, since 2014, has been working to establish an integrated mosquito control program in Albania. She has also coordinated surveillance, diagnostic, and response activities for pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009, and seasonal influenza in Albania and beyond in South East European Region as part of the network to strengthen surveillance and control of communicable diseases. This has fostered early warning systems, policy development, preparedness and response, and expert and institutional collaboration in the implementation of the International Health Regulations. She has been a consultant to WHO and other UN agencies and served as a member of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization until April 2009, the Review Committee on the Functioning of the International Health Regulations (2005) in relation to Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) in 2009 and later on the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework Advisory Group. She earned her medical degree from the Tirana University, Albania. She continued her postgraduate training and research studies on infectious diseases, microbiology, field epidemiology and public health in Switzerland, Belgium, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. She has published more than 30 papers in well quoted journals. Dr Férechté Encha-RazaviAssociate Professor, University of Paris-Déscartes, and Senior Consultant, Centres Pluridisciplinaires de Diagnostic Prénatal, Necker-Sick Children’s Hospital, Paris, France As a paediatrician involved in foetal pathology, Dr Férechté Encha-Razavi has conducted and participated in numerous research programs on foetal diseases, caused by genetic disorders or acquired (in hypoxic-ischemic context and/or during materno-foetal infections). In 2012, her group received the Moore award, delivered by the American Association of Neuropathologists , where she is registered as an active member. From 1998 to 2009, Dr Encha-Razavi was the head of the Unit of Foetal and Placental Pathology at the Necker Hospital, Paris, France, during which she developed the concept of pathological embryology, chaired a teaching program on human embryology and promoted research on developmental defects. As a member of the French Society of Foetal Pathology , Dr Encha-Razavi served as President from 2005 to 2009, promoting teaching and research on foetal medicine and on its ethical and legal aspects. Prior to joining the University of Paris-Déscartes, Dr Encha-Razavi worked for ten years at the University Hospital of Baharami in Teheran, Islamic Republic of Iran, and was very much involved in social paediatrics and endemic infectious diseases. Dr Encha-Razavi is the author of numerous textbooks and reports on foetal pathology, printed by international publishers and scientific journals with peer review. Dr Anthony EvansConsultant, Aviation Medicine Section, International Civil Aviation Organization, Montreal, Canada Dr Anthony Evans is a consultant (and formerly Section Chief) to the Aviation Medicine Section at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). He is also the former Manager of the “Collaborative Arrangement for the Prevention and Management of Public Health Events in Civil Aviation”, a global multi-sector programme of ICAO that, in collaboration with WHO and other partners, promotes and facilitates the implementation of International Health Regulations (IHR) core capacities in the aviation sector. Previously, Dr Evans was the Chief Medical Officer of the Civil Aviation Authority for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Dr Evans’ fields of professional concentration also include the development and implementation of harmonised medical requirements for pilots and air traffic controllers. Other current professional activities include memberships in the Faculty of Occupational Medicine of the United Kingdom, of the Society of Occupational Medicine and of the Royal Aeronautic Society. He is also a Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association and Secretary General of the International Academy of Aviation and Space Medicine. Dr Evans has been a consultant to the World Health Organization, a member of the IHR Emergency Committee concerning Influenza Pandemic (H1N1) and is currently an adviser to the IHR Emergency Committees concerning Ebola, Poliomyelitis and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus. Professor David O. FreedmanDepartments of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States of America Dr Freedman has been on the Infectious Diseases faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham since 1989 where he founded the UAB Travelers’ Health Clinic. For 18 years, until 2013, he was Director of the global GeoSentinel Surveillance Network which he co-founded and which currently maintains the largest database of ill travelers available. GeoSentinel is a network of 60 travel/tropical medicine units on six continents that is primarily funded by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over 40 publications from the consortium have defined pathogens, risks and threats to receiving countries. Since 2005, he has served as President of the Gorgas Memorial Institute, headquartered in Birmingham, which focuses on education and research in tropical diseases affecting the Americas. He co-directs the Gorgas Courses in Clinical Tropical Medicine that are given in Peru; over 700 physicians from 65 countries have received training at Gorgas. He was Secretary-Treasurer of the International Society of Travel Medicine from 2005-13 and is co-Editor of the textbook, Travel Medicine, now in its 3rd Edition. He is Associate Editor of the Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal and on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Travel Medicine. He has been Chair of the Advisory Panel on Parasitic Diseases of the United States Pharmacopeia, and a Councillor of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. In addition to Peru and Panama, Professor Freedman has participated in research projects in Guatemala. He has also worked for over a decade at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in north-eastern Brazil. Dr Abraham HodgsonDirector, Research and Development Division, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana Dr Abraham Hodgson is medical doctor and public health specialist who was Director of the Navrongo Health Research Centre from 2000 to 2011. He is currently the Director of the Research and Development Division of the Ghana Health Service. He had conducted research mainly in cerebrospinal meningitis. He is currently the Co-Principal Investigator of the maternal and child health study funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency on continuum of care in Ghana. Dr Nyoman KandunProgram Director, Field Epidemiology Training Program , Jakarta, Indonesia Dr Nyoman Kandun graduated from the School of Medicine, University of Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. He achieved his Master degree of public health from the Institute of Public Health, University of the Philippines System, Manila. He later graduated from Indonesia’s Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP). Prior to his current duty as Program Director of the Indonesian FETP which he has held since 2008, he served as a civil servant for 33 years. Dr Kandun retired from the Ministry of Health in 2008 with his last position being Director General of Disease Control and Environmental Health. Alongside his role as FETP Director, Dr Kandun also actively supports a number of public health programmes and activities. He was a member of various organizations, such as the Advisory Board of the National Agency for Disaster Management , the Immunization Technical Advisory Group WHO/SEARO, an Emeritus Member of the Board of Trustee of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), a member of the Subcommittee of Health Research WHO-SEARO, a member of the Board of Directors of the South Asia Field Epidemiology Training and Technology Network, the Chairman of the National Task Force of Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination, an Expert for the Committee of the National Commission of Zoonotic Diseases Control, a member of the Global Health Security Agenda Expert Committee, and Chair of the Accreditation Commission of Primary Health Care in Indonesia. He frequently lectures on public health issues at universities and training courses in Indonesia and as a speaker at national and international events. Professor Ghazala MahmudDean Faculty of Medicine, Quaid e Azam University and Former Dean, Quaid i Azam Post Graduate Medical College, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad , Pakistan Dr Ghazala Mahmud graduated in 1976 and obtained a Fellowship of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists,, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in 1999. She is currently engaged in establishing a new Hospital and Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Fazaiah Medical College, Air University Islamabad, Pakistan. She has previously worked as a teaching fellow at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. She became Dean at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in 2008 and Dean at the Faculty of Medicine at Quaid e Azam University, Pakistan. As the founding Professor and Head, she was involved with the planning, implementation and running of a 150-bed Mother and Child Health joint project with the Japan International cooperation Agency . She was the National Programme Manager of the MCH-JICA safe motherhood project at PIMS (1996-2001) in Islamabad, Pakistan, where she undertook comprehensive maternal health research studies and trained health care professionals including female health workers and birth attendants both in health facilities and communities. She served as a member to the technical advisory group “Abortion Study” by the Population Council, Women’s Health Project (WHP) from 2002 to 2007, and Maternal newborn and child health from 2008 to 2012. From 2007 to 2014, she was a member of the WHO EMRO-AFRO regional advisory panel for research in reproductive health. Since 2014, she has been on the International Health Regulations Roster of Experts. She has travelled widely to attend various seminars, conferences and represented the Government of Pakistan at various international forums. She has written 64 publications, she is the author of four books published in Indian/Oxford Text books, the resource person for local maternal health information pamphlets, and the Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care Manual for national training since 2007. She has won awards for outstanding research, two gold medals for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and an Honorary Fellowship of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan. Dr Dirk GlaesserDirector, Sustainable Development Programme, World Tourism Organization, Spain Dr Dirk Glaesser is the Director for Sustainable Development of Tourism at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The SDT programme deals with the different challenges and opportunities of tourism development, among them environment and planning, investment and finance, and safety and security. Under his supervision, the programme engages in top-level coordination with the World Health Organization,, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the United Nations System Influenza Coordination and the Tourism Emergency Response Network to promote safe travel behavior and has closely monitored the various health emergencies, from Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 to the most recent Ebola epidemics, and their impact on travel and tourism. Dr Glaesser is an advisor to the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Ebola. Professor Duane J. GublerProfessor and Founding Director, Signature Research Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore Professor Dr Duane J. Gubler is Professor and Founding Director of the Signature Research Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore. He is Adjunct Professor in his alma mater, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Duke University School of Medicine, United States of America. He has spent his entire career working on tropical infectious diseases with an emphasis on dengue and dengue haemorrhagic fever. He has extensive field experience in Asia, the Pacific, tropical America and Africa, and has published extensively in the area of dengue and other vector-borne infectious diseases. Professor Gubler was the founding Chief of the Dengue Branch, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Puerto Rico for nine years, Director of the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases in Fort Collins, CDC for 15 years and Chair, the Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology, University of Hawaii School of Medicine, in Honolulu for five years. He has served on numerous WHO and national committees and study groups, and was the founding Chair, Board of Councilors, Paediatric Dengue Vaccine Initiative. He currently serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards of a number of companies and institutions. Professor Gubler serves as Chairman of the Partnership for Dengue Control, a global alliance of experts in the dengue community. He is a Fellow of the Infectious Disease Society of America and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Past President of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Dr Leonard MboeraChief Research Scientist and the Director of Information Technology and Communication, National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania Dr Mboera holds a PhD in Mosquito Chemical Ecology from the Wageningen University and Research Centre, Kingdom of the he Netherlands, Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine of the Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania, MSc in Applied Entomology (Medical/Veterinary) of University of London and Diploma from Imperial College, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Dr Mboera joined the National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania in October 1992 as a research scientist. Prior to that he worked as a veterinary surgeon and trainer with Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Research and Training Central Zone in Mpwapwa, Tanzania. Dr Mboera has carried out considerable research into mosquito ecology, malaria epidemiology, ecosystems and health systems. He is recognized for his scientific knowledge on malaria and lymphatic filariasis mosquito resource seeking behaviours. His studies in mosquito behavior have changed the sampling techniques for anthropophilic mosquitoes in Sub-Saharan Africa. Dr Mboera was the first coordinator of the East African Integrated Disease Surveillance and leader in the Tanzania National Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response Strengthening Project. He has served on a number of national, regional and international committees; namely as a Member of the Executive Board of Southern Africa Climate Change Network; Chair of the Regional Southern Africa Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance, a Member of the Research Ethics Committee at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Secretary General of the East African Public Health Association, and a member of the Editorial Advisory Committee of the Rwanda Journal of Health Research. He is the Editor of the Tanzania Journal of Health Research and Associate Editor of the East African Journal of Public Research. Dr Mboera has published 116 scientific articles in biomedical and health systems, including three books and one book chapter. Dr Maria Mercedes Muñoz RamírezCoordinator of the Group for Public Health Surveillance, Department of Epidemiology and Demography, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Bogota, Colombia Dr Maria Mercedes Muñoz Ramírez is a medical surgeon who graduated from the National University of Colombia, Bogota, Colombia. She is an epidemiology specialist at the University of Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia and holds a Master in Public Health. Her work experience has been carried out over the last 14 years in the country's official sector and international cooperation agencies. Dr Munoz has worked at the Santiago de Cali and Social Security Institute, where she developed epidemiological profiles and led public health surveillance matters at the San Pedro Claver Hospital. As a member of the Group for Public Health Surveillance, which belonged to the General Public Health Directorate at the Ministry for Social Welfare, she participated in the H1N1 pandemic response. She is the focal point for the International Health Regulations in Colombia and has coordinated surveillance processes of emerging events in America such as Ebola, Chikungunya and Zika virus. She has worked as a national consultant with international aid agencies, where agreements have been finalized between the Pan American Health Organization, Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization, and World Food Program. Dr James MeeganDirector, Office of Global Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, United States of America James M. Meegan received his PhD from the University of Connecticut, and has had a long career in science, specializing in microbiology/virology, infectious diseases, and arthropod-borne and haemorrhagic fever viruses. He has held research positions at University of California at Berkeley, Yale Medical School, United States Army Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, and the Naval Medical Research Institute and at its overseas laboratories. He has held leadership positions at the World Health Organization (Geneva 1988-92), the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the United States. National Institutes of Health (NIH), and was a Senior Director of Research and Development at Invitrogen/Life Technologies Corporation. Since 2012, he has re-joined NIH as the Director of Global Research at NIAID. His research programs have focused on the role of viral diseases in international health and tropical medicine. He has many distinguished awards, has published numerous scholarly manuscripts, and has been a consultant and advisor to various individual countries, scientific groups and commissions. Dr K.U. MenonSenior Consultant with the Ministry of Communications and Information and the Arts, Singapore Dr Menon is a Senior Consultant with the Ministry of Communications and Information in Singapore. For over a decade, he headed the National Resilience Division responsible for emergency planning, and coordinating information flow during all civil and national emergencies, such as the Silkair MI 185 air crash, the collapse of Barings Bank, the influx of Vietnamese refugees; and the outbreaks of SARS, Avian influenza, H1N1 pandemic to name a few. He began his career in research with the Ministry of Defence in 1978. Prior to his deployment to the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts , he was a Research Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) with a special interest in the security of small states in South East Asia. He has an honours degree in Social Anthropology from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media Management from the University of South Australia. He undertook postgraduate work in political science at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. He has published articles in political science journals and monographs during his term at ISEAS and more recently in the Journal of Communications Management (London), Annals of the Academy of Medicine (Singapore) and with S. Rajaratnam, School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University , Singapore, touching on issues of Public Health and Risk Communications. He retired in 2009, but continues to be engaged full-time by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts in Singapore. Dr Rafael ObregónChief of the Communication for Development Section at the United Nations Children’s Fund , New York, United States of America Dr Rafael Obregón provides technical leadership and guidance on the development of standards, guidelines, and quality assurance for the application of communication for development principles and strategies across programmatic areas of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), including emergency response and humanitarian action. He has served as Regional Advisor for Health Communication within the Area of Family and Community Health and Child and Adolescent Health Unit at the Pan American Health Organization, Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). Dr Obregón has also been a technical advisor, researcher and resource/focal person for international/national cooperation agencies and government and non-governmental organizations. His duties have focused on formative research, project design and evaluation, and capacity strengthening. Dr Obregón has also been associate professor and guest faculty member at a number of universities, including Ohio University, United States of America, the Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla, Colombia, and the Universidad Autónoma in Barcelona, Spain. Throughout his career, he has written several books, book chapters, monographs, manuals, peer- reviewed journal articles and reports on public health communication, participatory communication and capacity development. He is a member of several editorial boards including the Journal of Health Communication, and has been a member of several scientific committees including the World Congress on Communication and Development, convened by the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Communication Initiative, as wells as a member of the Technical Advisory Group for the Global Health Communication Partnership within the Center for Communication Programs at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States of America. Dr Obregón earned his PhD in an Interdisciplinary Program in Mass Communications, with a concentration on international health, at the College of Communications at Pennsylvania State University, United States of America, in 1999. He received his Master of Arts in International Affairs and Communication and Development from Ohio University, United States of America, in 1994 with a minor in public health. Additionally, he obtained a Diploma in Education and Pedagogy through the National Apprenticeship Service in Colombia in 1990. Dr Amadou Alpha SallDirector of the WHO Collaborating Center for arboviruses and viral haemorrhagic fevers, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Senegal Dr Amadou A. Sall is a virologist and has a PhD in Public Health. He received his scientific education at Universities Paul Sabatier at Toulouse, Paris Orsay and Pierre et Marie Curie in France. He has also visited several laboratories for his training including Institut Pasteur in Paris, France; Institute of Virology and environmental medicine in Oxford, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Center for tropical disease at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, United States of America (USA) and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, New York, USA. From 2002 to2004, Dr Sall worked in Cambodia as Head of the viral hepatitis laboratory at the Institut Pasteur Cambodia. From 2010 to 2011, he worked as a Visiting Research Scientist at the Center for Infection and Immunity at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, New York, USA, on pathogen discovery. He is currently Head of the Arboviruses and viral haemorrhagic fever unit, Director of the WHO Collaborating Center and Scientific Director of the Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Senegal, which belongs to the Institut Pasteur International Network. His research focuses primarily on diagnostics, ecology and evolution of arboviruses and viral haemorrhagic fevers. Dr Sall has published more than 100 papers and book chapters and has given more than 150 scientific communications at international meetings. Dr Sall is a member of several WHO expert groups, including the Global Outbreak and Alert Response Network and the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization. He has also worked as a consultant for the World Organisation for Animal Health. Dr Jennifer Erin StaplesMedical Epidemiologist, Arboviral Disease Branch, Division of Vector-borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, United States of America Dr Jennifer Erin Staples, MD, PhD, is a medical epidemiologist with the Arboviral Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases , United States of America. She is responsible for a wide variety of arboviral diseases, focusing particularly on yellow fever, Chikungunya, Zika virus disease, blood and transplant associated arboviral infections, and tick-borne arboviral diseases. Her past work experiences includes bacterial zoonotic diseases at the CDC, vaccine development in industry, and clinical work in pediatric infectious diseases. Dr Staples has both a medical degree and a doctoral degree in microbiology and immunology and she has published on a variety of subjects. Dr Pedro Fernando da Costa VasconcelosHead, Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Director, National Reference Laboratory for Arboviruses, Director, National Institute for Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers, Ananindeua, Brazil Dr Pedro Fernando da Costa Vasconcelos is Head of the Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia para Febres Hemorrágicas Virais-INCT-FHV (Brazil's National Institute of Science and Technology for Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers), located at the headquarters of the Instituto Evandro Chagas (IEC), Brazil's Ministry of Health, in Ananindeua, Pará state. He is a member of Department of Arbovirology and Haemorrhagic Fevers at the Evandro Chagas Institute (IEC). He was Head of Department from 1998 to 2014, and Director of IEC from 2014 to 2015. Dr Vasconcelos is also a fellow researcher of Brazil's Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq – National Council for Scientific and Technological Development); and Director of the WHO Collaborating Center for Arbovirus Reference and Research at the IEC. He completed his medical degree at the Medical School of the Universidade Federal do Pará, in Belém, and pursued a specialty in tropical medicine at Universidade de São Paulo. Dr Vasconcelos received a PhD from Universidade Federal da Bahia, in Salvador, and completed his post-doctoral studies in Molecular Virology in the Department of Pathology at the University of Texas Medical Branch, in Galveston (USA). He is a member of the editorial boards of three scientific journals: Revista Pan-Amazônica de Saúde (and an Associate Editor for the Virology area); Open Epidemiology Journal; and Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases.

List of Members of, and Advisers to, the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee on Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations 1 February 2016 CHAIRProfessor David L. HeymannProfessor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland MEMBERSDr Fernando AlthabeDirector, Department of Maternal and Child Health Research, Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy, Buenos Aires, Argentina Dr Kalpana BaruahJoint Director, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi, India Dr Silvia BinoAssociate Professor of Infectious Diseases; Head, Control of Infectious Diseases Department, Institute of Public Health, Tirana, Albania Professor David O. FreedmanProfessor of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States of America Dr Abraham HodgsonDirector, Research and Development Division, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana Dr Nyoman KandunProgram Director, Field Epidemiology Training Program, Ministry of Health, Jakarta, Indonesia Dr Ghazala MahmudDean, Faculty of Medicine, Quaid i Azam University and former Dean, Quaid i Azam Post Graduate Medical College, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan Dr K.U. MenonSenior Consultant, Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore Dr Amadou Alpha SallDirector of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Arboviruses and Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Senegal Dr Jennifer Erin StaplesMedical Epidemiologist, Arboviral Disease Branch, Division of Vector-borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, United States of America Dr Pedro Fernando da Costa VasconcelosHead, Department of Arbovirology and Haemorrhagic Fevers; Director, National Reference Laboratory for Arboviruses; Director, National Institute for Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers, Ananindeua, Brazil ADVISERSDr Férechté Encha-RazaviAssociate Professor, University of Paris-Déscartes, and Senior Consultant, Centres Pluridisciplinaires de Diagnostic Prénatal, Necker-Sick Children’s Hospital, Paris, France Dr Anthony EvansAviation Medicine Consultant, International Civil Aviation Organization, Montreal, Canada Dr Dirk GlaesserDirector, Sustainable Development of Tourism Programme, World Tourism Organization, Madrid, Spain Professor Duane J. GublerProfessor and Founding Director, Signature Research Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-Nus Graduate Medical School, Singapore Dr Leonard MboeraChief Research Scientist and the Director of Information Technology and Communication, National Institute for Medical Research, Dar es Salaam,Tanzania Dr James MeeganNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Office of Global Research, Bethesda, United States of America Dr Maria Mercedes Muñoz RamírezCoordinator, Public Health Surveillance Group, Department of Epidemiology and Demography, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Bogota, Colombia Dr Rafael ObregónChief, Communication for Development Section, United Nations Children’s Fund, New York, United States of America http://www.who.int/ihr/procedures/zika-ec-members/en/

WHO Media Advisory 7 March 2016 Second Meeting of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee concerning Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations On Tuesday, 8 March 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) is convening the Emergency Committee (EC) on Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations under the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) for the second time. The EC is being convened five weeks after its first meeting due to the growing strength of evidence about Zika and the virus’s association with microcephaly and Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). The EC will be reviewing the implementation of recommendations made as part of the declaration of a Public Health Event of International Concern (PHEIC) and their impact on the emergency. The committee will also consider, in light of substantial new information since their previous meeting, whether precautionary measures included in the PHEIC should be strengthened or modified. The meeting will be held by teleconference. A briefing for the media will follow the Emergency Committee and a WHO statement, giving an account of the meeting and its conclusions, will be posted on the WHO public website and sent to the media. WHAT: Second meeting of the Zika Virus Infection and Possible Neurological Complications Emergency Committee WHEN: EC begins at 8 March 2016 at 13h00 FOR JOURNALISTS: A press briefing will be held at approximately 19h00 on 8 March in the Library Room at WHO Headquarters. The briefing will be given by Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO, and Dr David Heymann, Chair of the Emergency Committee Journalists will also be able to dial into the briefing. Phone-in details will follow tomorrow. Additional links on IHR Emergency Committee on Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations Emergency Committee Statementhttp://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2016/1st-emergency-committee-zika/en/ WHO Director-General summarizes the outcome of the Emergency Committee regarding clusters of microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndromehttp://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2016/emergency-committee-zika-microcephaly/en/ Emergency committee members and advisershttp://www.who.int/ihr/emergency-committee-zika/en/

On 24 November 2015, health authorities in French Polynesia reported unknown and unspecified causes of morbidity and mortality in the context of concomitant outbreaks of Zika and dengue (serotypes 1 and 3) viruses. This update provides additional information on the clinical findings as well as the epidemiological and laboratory investigations of these cases. Between October 2013 and April 2014, French Polynesia experienced the largest Zika virus outbreak ever recorded in the country. During this period of time, 32,000 patients (11.5% of the population) were assessed for the infection and 8,750 suspected cases were reported by the national surveillance system. Of the suspected cases, 383 were later laboratory-confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). View the full article

Between 29 February and 1 March 2016, WHO was notified of cases Zika virus infection in Argentina and France. On 29 February 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of Argentina notified PAHO/WHO of a potential first case of Zika virus infection. View the full article

http://recombinomics.co/reports/TravelAssociatedCasesofZikaVirusinCAMar416.pdf

On 25 February 2016, the National IHR Focal Point for the Netherlands notified WHO of two laboratory-confirmed cases of Zika virus infection in the Island of Sint Maarten. Sint Maarten is an independent state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is one of the Leeward Islands situated in the western part of the Caribbean region, east of Puerto Rico. The cases include a resident islander and a tourist. Both patients were confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on 12 and 18 February, respectively. The two patients, who were unrelated, spent most of their incubation periods in Sint Maarten and stayed in the neighbouring island of Anguilla for less than 24 hours. View the full article

On 25 February 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines notified PAHO/WHO of the country’s first case of Zika virus infection. The patient is a 34-year-old female who visited on 16 February a health centre in Union Island after experiencing fever, headache, chills, cough and weakness of the lower extremities. She was kept for observation at the hospital overnight. The patient has no history of travel in the 30 days prior to being admitted to hospital. No clusters of febrile-like illness were noted on the island.View the full article

Media Statement For Immediate Release Monday, February 29, 2016 Contact: CDC Media Relations 404-639-3286 CDC adds 2 destinations to interim travel guidance related to Zika virus CDC is working with other public health officials to monitor for ongoing Zika virus‎ transmission. Today, CDC added the following destinations to the Zika virus travel notices: St. Vincent and the Grenadines & Sint Maarten. CDC has issued a travel notice (Level 2-Practice Enhanced Precautions) for people traveling to regions and certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing. For a full list of affected countries/regions: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/zika-travel-information. Specific areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing are often difficult to determine and are likely to continue to change over time. As more information becomes available, CDC travel notices will be updated. Travelers to areas where cases of Zika virus infection have been recently confirmed are at risk of being infected with the Zika virus. Mosquitoes that spread Zika are aggressive daytime biters. They also bite at night. There is no vaccine or medicine available for Zika virus. The best way to avoid Zika virus infection is to prevent mosquito bites. Some travelers to areas with ongoing Zika virus transmission will become infected while traveling but will not become sick until they return home and they might not have any symptoms. To help stop the spread of Zika, travelers may consider using insect repellent for three weeks after travel to prevent mosquito bites. Some people who are infected do not have any symptoms. People who do have symptoms have reported fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes. Other commonly reported symptoms include muscle pain and headache. The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week. Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon and the number of deaths is low. Travelers to areas with ongoing Zika virus transmission should monitor for symptoms or illness upon return. If they become sick, they should tell their healthcare professional where they have traveled and when. CDC has received reports of Zika virus being spread by sexual contact with ill returning travelers. Until more is known, CDC continues to recommend that pregnant women and women trying to become pregnant take the following precautions. Pregnant women · Consider postponing travel to any area where Zika virus transmission is ongoing. · If you must travel to or live in one of these areas, talk to your healthcare provider first and strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites. · If you have a male partner who lives in or has traveled to an area where Zika transmission is ongoing, either use condoms the right way, every time or do not have sex during your pregnancy Women trying to get pregnant · Before you or your male partner travel, talk to your healthcare provider about your plans to become pregnant and the risk of Zika virus infection. · You and your male partner should strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites. Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) has been reported in patients with probable Zika virus infection in several countries. Research efforts underway will also examine the link between Zika and GBS. For more information on Zika, visit www.cdc.gov/zika.’ ### U.S. Department of Health and Human Services CDC works 24/7 protecting America’s health, safety and security. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, stem from human error or deliberate attack, CDC is committed to respond to America’s most pressing health challenges.

PAN AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION www.paho.org WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION www.who.int News and Public Information Media Advisory Researchers to tackle Zika virus unknowns and needs at PAHO meeting Washington, DC, February 29, 2016—Renowned researchers from key institutions will discuss needs in developing a research agenda on the Zika virus outbreak and its implications, at a special meeting at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) March 1-2, 2016. They plan to identify current gaps in scientific knowledge of Zika virus, its impact on humans, and its public health implications for the Americas. They also plan to look at the mosquito vector of Zika virus and what vector controls tools are working against Aedes aegypti mosquitos. Key sessions include overviews of the Zika situation. PAHO is bringing in participants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), United States; the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, known as Fiocruz and the Evandro Chagas Institute, Brazil; the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom; the Institute Pasteur in Paris, Dakar and Cayenne; and the Institute Pedro Kouri in Cuba. Other researchers and experts are attending from Institute Julio Maiztegui from Argentina, National Health Institute of Colombia, Public Health Agency Canada, National Public Health Institute of Mexico, University of West Indies, Gorgas Institute from Panama, as well as from France, and French Polynesia. The aim of the sessions is to discuss and resolve, where possible, issues including coordination and financing; networks; transversal programs; collaboration between academia and public health agencies; and reporting data and results. A press briefing with key participants is planned at the conclusion of the meeting. WHAT: Briefing on Zika virus research at PAHO meeting WHEN: Wednesday, March 2, 2016 TIME: 13:00 hs (Washington, DC Time) WHERE: PAHO HQs, Room B, 525 23rd St., NW, Washington, DC (Corner 23rd St. & Virginia Ave) HOW: Briefing will be in person Live through livestream: (please copy and paste this link on a new browser) English: www.livestream.com/paho Spanish: www.livestream.com/ops Call-in (floor sound, questions by email or livestream chat only) Call 5 minutes before 13:00 hs. (Washington, DC time) Telephone: + 1 202 974-3075 Meeting ID: 1234 Qs & As AFTER THE PRESENTATION Questions can be sent through the livestream chat or by email: [email protected] Links: PAHO Zika/microcephaly: www.paho.org/zikavirus Microcephaly http://www.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_topics&view=article&id=432&Itemid=41709&lang=en Countries and territories with Zika autochthonous transmission in the Americas http://www.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11603&Itemid=41696&lang=en http://www.paho.org http://www.facebook.com/PAHOWHO http://www.youtube.com/pahopin http://twitter.com/pahowho #Zika #FightAedes #Zikavirus Media Contacts: Media team, [email protected], Leticia Linn, [email protected], +1 202 974 3440 Daniel Epstein, [email protected], +1 202 974 3579 Sonia Mey-Schmidt, [email protected], +1 202 974 3036 Department of Communications, PAHO/WHO – www.paho.org Sonia Mey-Schmidt Media Relations and Communication Phone: +1 202 974-3036 Mobile: +1 202 251-2646 Fax: +1 202 974-3143 [email protected] PAHO/WHO – Follow us on PAHO/WHO 525 23rd Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037 USA www.paho.org www.facebook.com/pahowho www.twitter.com/pahowho #pahowho www.youtube.com/pahopin

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

Audio http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/t0226-zika.mp3

All Countries and Territories with Active Zika Virus Transmission Recommend on FacebookTweet AmericasArubaBarbadosBoliviaBonaireBrazilColombiaCommonwealth of Puerto Rico, US territoryCosta RicaCuracaoDominican RepublicEcuadorEl SalvadorFrench GuianaGuadeloupeGuatemalaGuyanaHaitiHondurasJamaicaMartiniqueMexicoNicaraguaPanamaParaguaySaint MartinSurinameTrinidad and TobagoU.S. Virgin IslandsVenezuelaOceania/Pacific IslandsAmerican SamoaMarshall IslandsSamoaTongaAfricaCape Verde Page last reviewed: February 4, 2016Page last updated: February 23, 2016