WHO Declares Zika A PHEIC

niman · February 1, 2016

WHO Declares Zika A Public Health Emergency of International Concern

niman · February 1, 2016

World Health Organization Declares Zika Virus A Public Health Emergency

The move will help galvanize a coordinated international response to the virus.

02/01/2016 01:25 pm ET | Updated 1 minute ago

Ryan GrenobleNews Editor, The Huffington Post
Anna AlmendralaHealthy Living Senior Editor, Huffington Post

The World Health Organization has declared the Zika virus a "public health emergency of international concern." This designation, also known as PHEIC, that has only been applied to three other illnesses in the past -- most recently to Ebola during the 2014 to 2015 outbreak in West Africa.

The determination, made during a February 1 meeting, is intended to mobilize an international response to combat the mosquito-spread illness, which has spread throughout Central and South America and is suspected to be the cause of a sharp rise in birth defects in Brazil.

The WHO reserves the PHEIC designation for “extraordinary” events that “constitute a public health risk to other states through the international spread of disease” such that it requires “a coordinated international response.”

With the announcement, the WHO has said it will scale up its surveillance of Zika in countries battling the virus, and in other countries it may spread to next.

Additional emphasis will be placed on studying the virus' effects on "fetuses, children and adults" and controlling it via yet-to-be-developed vaccines and mosquito extermination efforts.

WHO made the decision to declare Zika virus an international public health emergency on the advice of 11 members of an emergency committee on Zika virus, as well as eight advisors. The international group is chaired by Professor David L. Heymann, a professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Pregnant women are thought to be the most susceptible to Zika, a little-known viruswhich originated in Uganda in 1947 but was not linked to birth defects until 2015. While adults who contract Zika generally have mild symptoms like fever, rash, joint pain and headaches, officials believe it could pose a grave danger to a pregnant woman’s fetus.

In Brazil, a dramatic rise in microcephaly cases -- a condition where a baby’s head and brain don’t fully develop -- has been blamed on the rapidly spreading virus.

After the 2014 to 2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, experts criticized WHO's slow response to the epidemic. The international health agency declared the Ebola outbreak an international public health emergency in August of 2014, only after 1,000 people had died. Internal documents reveal that they not only ignored months of warnings from Doctors Without Borders, they also lagged after an April report from their own staff on the ground that the Ebola outbreak warranted the status of "global emergency." In the end, about 28,600 people contracted Ebola, and anestimated 11,300 people died.

While a causal link between Zika virus and microcephaly is yet to be established, it is strongly suspected, said WHO.

This story is developing...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/world-health-org-zika-virus-emergency_us_56af781ae4b077d4fe8ec2ac

niman · February 1, 2016

Zika was just declared a global health emergency — a distinction the WHO rarely uses

Updated by Julia Belluz on February 1, 2016, 1:30 p.m. ET @juliaoftoronto [email protected]

GettyImages-507337984.0.jpg — Health workers walk past a draining pool in the street while fumigating in an attempt to eradicate the mosquito which transmits the Zika virus on January 28, 2016, in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil.Mario Tama/Getty Images

Zika, a virus that barely bothered humans until last year, has been moving. First, it made its way from Africa to a series of tiny islands in Micronesia. Then it bounced through the Pacific Ocean to Easter Island, off the coast of Chile. From there, it was on to Brazil. Now Zika has infected people in more than 20 countries in Central and South America and the Caribbean.

The mosquito-borne virus doesn't seem to harm most of its victims. But there'sincreasing evidence that it can cause serious damage to the brains of fetuses and, in rare instances, devastating neurological problems in adults.

More than a million people in Brazil have already been infected with the virus, and the numbers in surrounding countries are quickly rising. There's no chance of containing Zika now — but health authorities can potentially slow its spread.

Getting countries and resources focused on the Zika threat is exactly why the World Health Organization declared Zika a "public health emergency of international concern," or PHEIC, today. The WHO doesn't issue these declarations very often, and they carry a lot of political heft — as well as economic repercussions for the countries involved. Here's what you need to know.

1) What is a public health emergency of international concern?

Countries with active Zika transmission. (CDC)

Formally, a PHEIC is defined as "an extraordinary event which is determined to constitute a public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease and to potentially require a coordinated international response."

In reality, it's a political tool that the WHO uses to sound the alarm about a serious disease that has caught the world off guard and put people's health in danger. It's meant to draw countries' immediate attention — to galvanize resources and stop the disease from spreading further across borders.

2) Who decides to declare a public health emergency?

Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization, announcing the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is not a public health emergency. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

When there's a looming disease crisis on the horizon, the World Health Organization convenes a panel of experts under the International Health Regulations (which are a set of laws that govern global responses to pandemics involving 196 member countries).

These experts — dubbed an "emergency committee" — meet and assess the risk posed by a disease outbreak and then to advise the WHO director general (Dr. Margaret Chan) about whether to declare a PHEIC. Chan then decides whether to take action. So far, she's always followed the committee's advice.

3) How often does the WHO declare these emergencies?

Not very often. The WHO has only declared a public health emergency three times since the International Health Regulations were enacted in 2007.

The first time was in 2009, with the outbreak of the H1N1 swine flu pandemic. The second time was in May 2014, when polio seemed to surge again, threatening the eradication effort. The third time, in August 2014, came as the Ebola outbreak in West Africa was growing out of control. Notably, the emergency committee decided not to declare the MERS virus a PHEIC.

4) Why are these declarations so rare?

These decisions are not taken lightly. First, the PHEIC is a political tool used to focus the world on a health crisis. Using this declaration too often would weaken its significance.

Second, one of the key considerations in declaring a PHEIC is whether the disease threat is dire enough for countries to be forced into enacting travel and trade restrictions. These can be devastating to local economies.

Even if the WHO only warns people to limit or delay travel to affected regions (instead of outright travel restrictions), health emergency declarations are often associated with economic losses. Because of the Ebola crisis, the World Bank Group estimated that the West African countries at the center of the outbreak — Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone — lost out on about $1.6 billion in economic growth in 2015. Similarly, the South American countries hit by swine flu suffered economic losses ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 percent of their GDPs.

5) Beyond economic repercussions, do they have any impact?

Yes and no.

Naming a PHEIC doesn't mean the countries battling an outbreak will suddenly be flooded with funds and support from the WHO. In fact, one of the key problems is that many WHO member states don't have the resources available to take the measures needed to wipe out a disease threat and a public health emergency doesn't change that.

We saw this very clearly with Ebola: The three worst-affected countries also happened to be some of the poorest on the planet. Despite agreeing, under the International Health Regulations, to have robust disease surveillance systems in place and systems for sharing information about outbreaks, they mostly didn't — and that's part of the reason it took months to even identify the fact that an Ebola outbreak was happening in West Africa. (You can read more about that in an article I co-authored with Vox contributor Steven Hoffman.)

But as we saw with Ebola, the emergency declaration escalated media attention and global focus on the disease. It helped wake up the world to the gravity of West Africa's outbreak. It helped bring resources from wealthier countries into West Africa, and slowly the global effort got the outbreak under control.

So even though there's no money directly attached to a PHEIC, it's a powerful political tool that can get a lot of other resources moving.

6) What will this health emergency mean for Latin America?

A health worker fumigates to prevent dengue, chikungunya, and Zika virus, at El Angel cemetery, in Lima, Peru, Wednesday, January 20, 2016. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

At the very least, a PHEIC means the WHO will closely track and monitor the disease and issue regular media updates about the outbreak. It'll draw global attention to the disease. It'll probably encourage governments and health agencies in and out of Latin America to research Zika and send resources to places that need them in order to help stop the virus from traveling further. (Brazil, a medium-size economy, may not need much help with Zika — but poorer countries in Latin America, like El Salvador, probably do.)

It'll also alert other unaffected countries to keep a careful watch on Zika within their borders and take measures to reduce the risk of more outbreaks.

http://www.vox.com/2016/2/1/10871562/zika-health-emergency-who

niman · February 1, 2016

BREAKING NEWS: Zika virus outbreak IS a 'global public health emergency', says World Health Organisation

It follows an emergency meeting of independent experts in Geneva
WHO fears this year's El Nino could cause the Zika virus to spread further
The Americas are expected to see four millions cases of disease this year
Virus, which causes brain defects in babies, has spread to 23 countries
See more news on the Zika virus at www.dailymail.co.uk/zikavirus

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER and PRESS ASSOCIATION

PUBLISHED: 20:27 EST, 31 January 2016 | UPDATED: 13:46 EST, 1 February 2016

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The zika virus outbreak should be considered a 'public health emergency of international concern', the World Health Organisation has warned.

The global health body made its decision after an emergency meeting in Geneva to discuss the 'explosive' nature of the virus.

WHO officials have predicted that as many as four million people could be infected with the virus this year.

The last time a global emergency was declared was for the Ebola outbreak, which is thought to have led to more than 11,000 deaths.

The designation was recommended by a committee of independent experts to the United Nations agency, following criticism of a hesitant response so far.

The move should help fast-track international action and research priorities.

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Alice Bezerra, who has microcephaly, is held by her mother Nadja Cristina Gomes Bezerra in Recife, Brazil

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The WHO has set up an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee to examine Zika and will meet on Monday to decide whether it constitutes a global emergency on the scale of Ebola

The UN health agency warned last week that the mosquito-borne disease was 'spreading explosively' in the Americas, with the region expected to see up to four million cases this year.

Experts also fear the warm weather system El Nino will fuel the outbreak by increasing the mosquito population.

Brazil sounded the alarm in October, when a rash of microcephaly cases, a devastating condition in which a baby is born with an abnormally small head and brain, emerged in the northeast.

Since then, there have been 270 confirmed cases and 3,448 suspected cases, up from 147 in 2014.

There are also growing fears for the Rio Olympics in August, with female athletes saying they may not compete over concerns of contracting the illness.

There are fears that the virus - which has spread to 23 countries - is being passed to humans via the common mosquito, as some say El Nino is playing a factor into the rapid spread of it.

Zika has been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains in Brazil.

Women in Britain have been warned by Public Health England (PHE) to consider avoiding travel to areas where Zika is active.

In a briefing to the WHO's executive board, WHO director-general Margaret Chan said the organization was 'deeply concerned'.

She said the virus was 'spreading explosively' through the Americas and 'the level of alarm is extremely high'.

'Arrival of the virus in some places has been associated with a steep increase in the birth of babies with abnormally small heads and in cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome,' Chan stated.

'A causal relationship between Zika virus infection and birth malformations and neurological syndromes has not yet been established, but is strongly suspected.

'The possible links, only recently suspected, have rapidly changed the risk profile of Zika, from a mild threat to one of alarming proportions.

'The increased incidence of microcephaly is particularly alarming, as it places a heart-breaking burden on families and communities.'

Chan said the WHO was concerned there could be potential for further international spread of the virus, and was worried about the lack of immunity to the virus in newly-affected areas.

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In the last four months, authorities have recorded close to 4,000 cases in Brazil in which the mosquito-borne Zika virus may have led to microcephaly in infants

At present, there are no vaccines, specific treatments or rapid diagnostic tests for it, she added.

Weather conditions associated with this year's El Nino are also expected to increase the mosquito population in many areas, she said.

'Meteorological factors certainly play an important role in determining the global range of the virus-transmitting Aedes (aegypti species of) mosquitoes and how competently they can transmit a virus,' Andrew Monaghan, a research scientist at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, told CNN.

El Nino typically brings warmer temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns to South America while creating conditions that can help mosquito populations and the diseases they carry to thrive, CNN reported.

According to the United Nations, El Nino can cause an 'increase in vector-borne diseases including dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus due to increased mosquito vectors.'

On Wednesday, Dr Dipti Patel, director at National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), said: 'All travelers, especially pregnant women going to an area with active Zika virus transmission should ensure they seek travel health advice from their GP or a travel clinic well in advance of their trip and consult the NaTHNaC website for up to date information on current outbreaks and country information.

'We strongly advise all travelers to avoid mosquito bites and urge pregnant women to consider avoiding travel to areas reporting active Zika transmission.

'If travel to these areas is unavoidable, or they live in areas where Zika virus transmission is occurring, they should take scrupulous insect bite avoidance measures both during daytime and night-time hours.'

The growing international health emergency around Zika could scare athletes and fans from coming to South America's first Olympics as organizers prepare for hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Amid growing concerns, athletes say they are considering staying away from the Games.

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Cuba's gold medalist Lisette Hechevarria (left) competes with Brazil's Aline Silva, IN the women's wrestling Greco-Roman 72 kg at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, IN 2011. Silva has had the dengue fever twice. She says she's not taking any chances with the Zika virus and may miss the Rio Games in August

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United States wrestler Adeline Gray celebrates her gold medal win at the Pan Am Games in Mississauga, Ontario, last year. Gray, a three-time world champion who will be an Olympic favorite for gold in 2016, raised the issue of Zika's link to birth defects and cases of babies being born with unusually small heads

Brazilian wrestler Aline Silva, who hopes to win a medal, has had the dengue fever twice and says she's not taking any chances with the Zika virus.

At a test event yesterday for the games, at a venue in Rio's new Olympic Park, she wasn't alone in being concerned.

Several non-Brazilian athletes talked about slathering on mosquito repellent, staying in their hotel rooms and away from the water and the beaches in order to avoid mosquitoes.

'For me it's very worrying,' said Silva, who said she applies repellent about every 90 minutes when she's away from home.

'Really, the biggest problem is in training and competing - when I can't use it (repellent),' she said. 'I have had dengue twice, so I am aware about all of this. Maybe I am more worried than most.'

Asked if other Brazilian athletes were concerned about Zika, Silva replied: 'Yes, of course.'

American wrestler Adeline Gray, a three-time world champion who will be an Olympic favourite for gold, raised the issue of Zika's link to birth defects and cases of babies being born with unusually small heads and possible brain damage.

'I think if I was planning to have a child next month, I would be extremely uneasy about this,' said Gray, who competes in the 75-kilogram class.

'Maybe that would have changed my decision (to come here).'

Gray said her coaches have banned her from going swimming in Brazil during her short stay.

'Unfortunately we're not spending too much time outside. We're wearing long sleeves, long pants and just making sure we have on as much bug spray as we can.'

Japan coach Shigeo Kinase gave similar advice to his wrestlers about staying indoors.

'We are trying not to leave the hotel too often,' he said. 'If my athletes go out shopping, I go with them.'

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At present, there are no vaccines, specific treatments or rapid diagnostic tests for it. Above a city worker in Santa Tecla, El Salvador fumigates a neighbourhood on January 29

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Zika virus is common in parts of Africa and South East Asia, but since 2007 there have been various outbreaks outside of the disease's comfort zone. It spread to South America in 2014, before reaching Mexico and the Caribbean last year. The first US case was reported in Texas at the start of January

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Rio organisers have been scouring Olympics venues daily for two weeks, looking for standing water where mosquitoes breed.

Rio spokesman Mario Andrada said the inspections would continue daily until the games open on August 5.

That will be in Brazil's winter when it's cooler, drier and the mosquito population is smaller.

Andrada emphasized that no one is publicly talking about cancelling or postponing the games.

'This has never been mentioned. No way,' Andrada said. 'It's impossible to do that. There is no reason to do that.'

Since the start of the outbreak in 2015, five UK travelers have been diagnosed with the Zika virus.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised pregnant women to reconsider travel to Brazil and 21 other countries with Zika outbreaks over fears about microcephaly.

Symptoms of infection may include fever, joint pain, itching, rash, conjunctivitis or red eyes, headache, muscle pain and eye pain.

The WHO predicts three to four million people will be infected with Zika in the Americas this year. Most will not suffer from their symptoms.

The last time a global emergency was declared was for the Ebola outbreak, which is thought to have led to more than 11,000 deaths.

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According to the United Nations , El Nino can cause an 'increase in vector-borne diseases including dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus due to increased mosquito vectors.' Above a worker fumigates a neighborhood in Managua, Nicaragua on January 28

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Officials have advised pregnant women to consider avoiding traveling to areas reporting active Zika transmission. City workers fumigate the Jardines de Merliot neighborhood as part of preventive measures against the Zika virus in Santa Tecla, El Salvador

Dr Carissa Etienne, the regional director for the WHO Pan American Health Organisation, said the link between problems in babies and Zika had not yet been confirmed.

But she added: 'We cannot tolerate the prospect of more babies being born with neurological and other malformations and more people facing the threat of paralysis.'

Rio de Janeiro is the host city for the 2016 Olympic Games in August.

Earlier, Brazilian experts at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation said the virus - which was thought to be confined to the Aedes aegypti mosquito in the tropics - may have already crossed over to the culex mosquito, a much more common type.

U.S. President Barack Obama spoke on Friday with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff about the spread of the Zika virus in the Western Hemisphere, the White House said.

'The leaders agreed on the importance of collaborative efforts to deepen our knowledge, advance research, and accelerate work to develop better vaccines and other technologies to control the virus,' the White House said in a statement.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ZIKA

WHAT IS ZIKA?

The Zika (ZEE'-ka) virus was first discovered in monkey in Uganda in 1947 - its name comes from the Zika forest where it was first discovered.

It is native mainly to tropical Africa, with outbreaks in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. It appeared in Brazil last year and has since been seen in many Latin American countries and Caribbean islands.

HOW IS IT SPREAD?

It is transmitted through bites from the same kind of mosquitoes that can spread other tropical diseases, like dengue fever, chikungunya and yellow fever.

It is not known to spread from person to person.

Investigators, though, are exploring the possibility that the virus can be passed on through sex - it was found in one man's semen in Tahiti and there's been another report of possible spread of the virus through sex.

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An Aedes Aegypti mosquito on human skin in a lab in Cali, Colombia. Scientists there are studying the genetics and biology of this mosquito, which transmits the Zika virus

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The World Health Organisation says Zika is rapidly spreading in the Americas because it is new to the region and people are not immune to it. Furthermore, the Aedes aegypti mosquito (pictured) that carries it is just extremely widespread

The World Health Organisation says Zika is rapidly spreading in the Americas because it is new to the region, people aren't immune to it, and the Aedes aegypti mosquito that carries it is just about everywhere - including along the southern United States.

Canada and Chile are the only places without this mosquito.

ARE THERE SYMPTOMS?

Experts think most people infected with Zika virus don't get sick.

And those that do usually develop mild symptoms - fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes - which usually last no more than a week.

There is no specific medicine and there hasn't been a vaccine developed for it, which is the case for some other tropical illnesses that cause periodic outbreaks.

GLAXO CONSIDERING USING VACCINE TECHNOLOGY FOR ZIKA

GlaxoSmithKline Plc is concluding feasibility studies evaluating whether its vaccine technology is suitable for the Zika virus, a spokeswoman has confirmed.

There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, which typically causes mild fevers and rashes, although about 80 percent of those infected show no symptoms.

'We're concluding our feasibility studies as quickly as we can to see if our vaccine technology platforms might be suitable for working on Zika,' a Glaxo spokeswoman said in an email.

She declined to provide details but added that vaccine development typically takes 10 to 15 years.

WHY IS IT A CONCERN NOW?

In Brazil, there has been mounting evidence linking Zika infection in pregnant women to a rare birth defect called microcephaly, in which a newborn's head is smaller than normal and the brain may not have developed properly.

Brazilian health officials last October noticed a spike in cases of microcephaly in tandem with the Zika outbreak.

The connection to Zika is still being investigated, and officials note there are many causes of the condition. Nearly 4,000 cases have been recorded.

Meanwhile, doctors have noted increased reports of a nerve condition called Guillain-Barre that can cause paralysis.

But the link to the Zika virus is not clear; other infections can spark the problem, including dengue fever.

CAN THE SPREAD BE STOPPED?

Individuals can protect themselves from mosquito bites by using insect repellents, and wearing long sleeves and long pants - especially during daylight, when the mosquitoes tend to be most active, health officials say.

Eliminating breeding spots and controlling mosquito populations can help prevent the spread of the virus.

HAVE THERE BEEN CASES IN THE US?

Yes, but in tourists. Since 2007 there have been more than two dozen cases diagnosed in the US all travellers who are believed to have caught it overseas.

(Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have each had a recent case that didn't involve a traveler.)

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There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, which typically causes mild fevers and rashes, although about 80 per cent of those infected show no symptoms

The kind of mosquito that spreads Zika is found along the southern states, so experts think it's likely the pests may end up spreading the virus there.

But officials also have said Zika infections probably won't be a big problem in the US for a number of reasons, including the more common use of air conditioning and door and window screens.

Recent U.S. outbreaks of dengue and chikungunya - carried by the same mosquito - suggest any Zika outbreaks may be relatively small, said Dr. Lyle Petersen of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

WHAT ARE THE TRAVEL ADVISORIES?

US health officials recommend that pregnant women should consider postponing trips to 22 destinations. Latin America: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname and Venezuela. In the Caribbean: Barbados, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, St. Martin and Puerto Rico. Also, Cape Verde, off the coast of western Africa; and Samoa in the South Pacific.

In Brazil, most of the mothers who had babies with microcephaly were apparently infected during the first trimester, but there is some evidence the birth defect can occur later in the pregnancy, CDC officials say.

The travel alert applies to women in any stage of pregnancy.

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niman · February 1, 2016

The rapid increase in the number of severe birth defects possibly tied to the Zika virus constitutes a global health emergency, the World Health Organization declared Monday, as it called for a global coordinated response to learn more about the situation.

Following the advice of an emergency committee of 18 outside experts, the agency’s director, Dr. Margaret Chan, said the surge in Zika-related cases meets the criteria to be declared a “public health emergency of international concern.”

Chan said the gathered experts agreed there appears a causal relationship between the Zika virus outbreak and an increase in cases of serious birth defects and a neurological condition called Guillain-Barré syndrome. That link is not yet proven, the panel said.

“We need a coordinated international response to make sure we get to the bottom of this,” Chan said at a news conference telecast from WHO headquarters in Geneva.

The Zika virus, once thought to be a wimpy cousin of the more severe dengue and chikungunya viruses, has gained global attention in recent weeks. The reason: Health authorities in Brazil reported that country was experiencing a surge in cases of babies born with abnormally small heads, a condition calledmicrocephaly. They said they believe the increase was due to the Zika outbreak that has swept through parts of Brazil starting last May.

The theory is that infection during pregnancy can in some cases induce microcephaly. Several other viruses — notably rubella (German measles) and cytomegalovirus — are known to sometimes trigger this birth defect.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took theextraordinary step last month of urging women who are pregnant not to travel to locations where Zika virus is spreading. Several other countries — Canada and Britain among them — followed suit.

And a number of affected countries in Latin America arerecommending that women delay pregnancy — advice that advocacy groups have denounced as unworkable in countries where access to contraceptives may be limited and where abortions are outlawed.

Zika virus: WHO declares global emergency

By Michelle RobertsHealth editor, BBC News online

Zika poses a global public health emergency requiring an urgent, united response, says the World Health Organization.

Experts are worried that the virus is spreading far and fast, with devastating consequences.

The infection has been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains.

The WHO alert puts Zika in the same category of international concern as Ebola.

It means research and aid will be fast-tracked to tackle the infection.

WHO director general, Margaret Chan called Zika an "extraordinary event" that needed a coordinated response.

"I am now declaring that the recent cluster of microcephaly and other neurological abnormalities reported in Latin America following a similar cluster in French Polynesia in 2014 constitutes a public health emergency of international concern."

She said the priorities were to protect pregnant women and their babies from harm and to control the mosquitoes that are spreading the virus.

She advised pregnant women:

to consider delaying travel to areas affected by Zika
seek advice from their physician if they are living in areas affected by Zika, as well as protect themselves against mosquito bites by wearing repellent

Dr Chan justified declaring an emergency even amid uncertainties about the disease, saying now was not the time to wait.

The WHO faced heavy criticism for waiting too long to declare the Ebola outbreak a public emergency.

Stopping Zika

Currently, there is no vaccine or medication to stop Zika. The only way to avoid catching it is to avoid getting bitten by the Aedes mosquitoes that transmit the infection.

The WHO has already warned that Zika is likely to "spread explosively" across nearly all of the Americas. More than 20 countries, including Brazil, are reporting cases.

Most infections are mild and cause few or no symptoms, although there have been some reported cases of a rare paralysis disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome.

The bigger health threat though is believed to be in pregnancy, to the unborn child.

There have been around 4,000 reported cases of microcephaly - babies born with small brains - in Brazil alone since October.

Dr Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust, said: "There is a long road ahead. As with Ebola, Zika has once again exposed the world's vulnerability to emerging infectious diseases and the devastation they can unleash. Alongside the emergency response that Zika necessitates, we must put in place the permanent reforms, health systems strengthening and proactive research agenda that are needed to make the global health system more resilient to the threat of future pandemics."

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-35459797

niman · February 1, 2016

O

✔@WHO
Dr Heymann: This Public Health Emergency of Intl Concern has to do is proofing these #Microcephaly clusters are assoc with#ZikaVirus

Follow
WHO

✔@WHO
Dr Heymann emphasized vector control, surveillance, R&D for vaccines & other goods needed to control #Zika if link w/#microcephaly is proven
1:35 PM - 1 Feb 2016
http://www.cknw.com/2016/02/01/world-health-organization-says-zika-virus-an-international-emergency/

niman · February 1, 2016

WHO statement on the first meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR 2005) Emergency Committee on Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations

WHO statement
1 February 2016

The first 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 neurologic disorders in some areas affected by Zika virus was held by teleconference on 1 February 2016, from 13:10 to 16:55 Central European Time.

The WHO Secretariat briefed the Committee on the clusters of microcephaly and Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) that have been temporally associated with Zika virus transmission in some settings. The Committee was provided with additional data on the current understanding of the history of Zika virus, its spread, clinical presentation and epidemiology.

The following States Parties provided information on a potential association between microcephaly and/or neurological disorders and Zika virus disease: Brazil, France, United States of America, and El Salvador.

The Committee advised that the recent cluster of microcephaly cases and other neurologic disorders reported in Brazil, following a similar cluster in French Polynesia in 2014, constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

The Committee provided the following advice to the Director-General for her consideration to address the PHEIC (clusters of microcephaly and neurologic disorders) and their possible association with Zika virus, in accordance with IHR (2005).

Microcephaly and neurologic disorders

Surveillance for microcephaly and GBS should be standardized and enhanced, particularly in areas of known Zika virus transmission and areas at risk of such transmission.
Research into the etiology of new clusters of microcephaly and neurologic disorders should be intensified to determine whether there is a causative link to Zika virus and/or other factors or co-factors.

As these clusters have occurred in areas newly infected with Zika virus, and in keeping with good public health practice and the absence of another explanation for these clusters, the Committee highlights the importance of aggressive measures to reduce infection with Zika virus, particularly among pregnant women and women of childbearing age.

As a precautionary measure, the Committee made the following additional recommendations:

Zika virus transmission

Surveillance for Zika virus infection should be enhanced, with the dissemination of standard case definitions and diagnostics to at-risk areas.
The development of new diagnostics for Zika virus infection should be prioritized to facilitate surveillance and control measures.
Risk 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.
Vector control measures and appropriate personal protective measures should be aggressively promoted and implemented to reduce the risk of exposure to Zika virus.
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.
Pregnant 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.

Longer-term measures

Appropriate research and development efforts should be intensified for Zika virus vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.
In areas of known Zika virus transmission health services should be prepared for potential increases in neurological syndromes and/or congenital malformations.

Travel measures

There should be no restrictions on travel or trade with countries, areas and/or territories with Zika virus transmission.
Travellers to areas with Zika virus transmission should be provided with up to date advice on potential risks and appropriate measures to reduce the possibility of exposure to mosquito bites.
Standard WHO recommendations regarding disinsection of aircraft and airports should be implemented.

Data sharing

National authorities should ensure the rapid and timely reporting and sharing of information of public health importance relevant to this PHEIC.
Clinical, virologic and epidemiologic data related to the increased rates of microcephaly and/or GBS, and Zika virus transmission, should be rapidly shared with WHO to facilitate international understanding of the these events, to guide international support for control efforts, and to prioritize further research and product development.

Based on this advice the Director-General declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 1 February 2016. 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.

For further information please contact:

Gregory Hartl
Telephone: +41 22 791 4458
Mobile: +41 79 203 6715
E-mail: [email protected]

Christian Lindmeier
Telephone: +41 22 791 1948
Mobile: +41 79 5006552
E-mail: [email protected]

Tarik Jasarevic
Telephone: +41 22 791 5099
Mobile: +41 79 367 6214
E-mail: [email protected]

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2016/1st-emergency-committee-zika/en/

niman · February 1, 2016

Audio

http://terrance.who.int/mediacentre/presser/WHO-RUSH_Zika_virus_Emergency_committee_presser_01FEB2016.mp3

niman · February 1, 2016

WHO Director-General summarizes the outcome of the Emergency Committee on Zika

WHO statement on the first meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee on Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations
1 February 2016

I convened an Emergency Committee, under the International Health Regulations, to gather advice on the severity of the health threat associated with the continuing spread of Zika virus disease in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Committee met today by teleconference.

In assessing the level of threat, the 18 experts and advisers looked in particular at the strong association, in time and place, between infection with the Zika virus and a rise in detected cases of congenital malformations and neurological complications.

The experts agreed that a causal relationship between Zika infection during pregnancy and microcephaly is strongly suspected, though not yet scientifically proven. All agreed on the urgent need to coordinate international efforts to investigate and understand this relationship better.

The experts also considered patterns of recent spread and the broad geographical distribution of mosquito species that can transmit the virus.

The lack of vaccines and rapid and reliable diagnostic tests, and the absence of population immunity in newly affected countries were cited as further causes for concern.

After a review of the evidence, the Committee advised that the recent cluster of microcephaly cases and other neurological disorders reported in Brazil, following a similar cluster in French Polynesia in 2014, constitutes an “extraordinary event” and a public health threat to other parts of the world.

In their view, a coordinated international response is needed to minimize the threat in affected countries and reduce the risk of further international spread.

Members of the Committee agreed that the situation meets the conditions for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

I have accepted this advice.

I am now declaring that the recent cluster of microcephaly cases and other neurological disorders reported in Brazil, following a similar cluster in French Polynesia in 2014, constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

A coordinated international response is needed to improve surveillance, the detection of infections, congenital malformations, and neurological complications, to intensify the control of mosquito populations, and to expedite the development of diagnostic tests and vaccines to protect people at risk, especially during pregnancy.

The Committee found no public health justification for restrictions on travel or trade to prevent the spread of Zika virus.

At present, the most important protective measures are the control of mosquito populations and the prevention of mosquito bites in at-risk individuals, especially pregnant women.

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2016/emergency-committee-zika-microcephaly/en/

Admin · February 2, 2016

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

CHAIR

Professor David L. Heymann

Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

MEMBERS

Dr Fernando Althabe

Director, Department of Maternal and Child Health Research, Institute of Clinical and Health Policy Effectiveness, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Dr Kalpana Baruah

Joint Director, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi, India

Dr Silvia Bino

Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases; Head, Control of Infectious Diseases Department, Institute of Public Health, Tirana, Albania

Professor David O. Freedman

Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States of America

Dr Abraham Hodgson

Director, Research and Development Division, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana

Dr Nyoman Kandun

Program Director, Field Epidemiology Training Program, Ministry of Health, Jakarta, Indonesia

Dr Ghazala Mahmud

Former Dean, Quaid i Azam Post Graduate Medical College, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences; Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Quaid i Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan

Dr K.U. Menon

Senior Consultant, Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore

Dr Amadou Sall

Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Arboviruses and Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Senegal

Dr Jennifer Staples

Medical 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 Vasconcelos

Head, Department of Arbovirology and Haemorrhagic Fevers; Director, National Reference Laboratory for Arboviruses; Director, National Institute for Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers, Ananindeua, Brazil

ADVISERS

Dr Férechté Encha-Razavi

Associate Professor, University of Paris-Déscartes, and Senior Consultant, Centres Pluridisciplinaires de Diagnostic Prénatal, Necker-Sick Children’s Hospital, Paris, France

Dr Anthony Evans

Aviation Medicine Consultant, International Civil Aviation Organization, Montreal, Canada

Dr Dirk Glaesser

Director, Sustainable Development of Tourism Programme, World Tourism Organization, Madrid, Spain

Professor Duane J. Gubler

Professor and Founding Director, Signature Research Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-Nus Graduate Medical School, Singapore

Dr Leonard Mboera

Chief Research Scientist and the Director of Information Technology and Communication, National Institute for Medical Research, Dar es Salaam,Tanzania

Dr James Meegan

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Office of Global Research, Bethesda, United States of America

Dr Maria Mercedes Muñoz

Coordinator, Public Health Surveillance Group, Department of Epidemiology and Demography, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Bogota, Colombia

Dr Rafael Obregón

Chief, 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/

niman · February 3, 2016

Audio on WHO presser on microcephaly

https://who-tvstudio.wetransfer.com/downloads/90ca97521e1e7508c72fc6ed9ad9fbef20160202125047/0ad1e5