IMO has issued circular to provide guidance on the Zika situation report issued by the World Health Organizaton. At present the Emergency Committee, convened by the World Health Organization’s Director-General under the International Health Regulations (2005), has found no justification for restrictions on travel or trade.
SUMMARY
- An Emergency Committee was convened by the Director-General under the International Health Regulations (2005) on 1 February 2016. Following the advice of the Committee, the Director-General announced the recent cluster of microcephaly and other neurologic disorders reported in Brazil to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
- The Emergency Committee agreed that a causal relationship between Zika infection during pregnancy and microcephaly is strongly suspected, though not yet scientifically proven. All experts agreed on the urgent need to coordinate international efforts to investigate and understand this relationship better.
- Between January 2014 and 5 February 2016, a total of 33 countries have reported autochthonous circulation of Zika virus. There is also indirect evidence of local transmission in 6 additional countries.
- The geographical distribution of Zika virus has been steadily increasing since it was first detected in the Americas in 2015. Further spread to countries within the geographical range of competent disease vectors — Aedes mosquitoes — is considered likely.
- Seven countries have reported an increase in the incidence of cases of microcephaly and/or Guillain-Barré syndrome concomitantly with a Zika virus outbreak.
- The global prevention and control strategy launched by WHO is based on surveillance, response activities, and research
GENERAL INFORMATION
Zika Virus
- Zika virus disease is caused by a virus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. Other transmission modes are still under investigation.
- People with Zika virus disease usually have a mild fever, skin rash (exanthema), and conjunctivitis. These symptoms normally last for 2-7 days.
- At present there is no specific treatment or vaccine currently available. The best form of prevention is protection against mosquito bites.
- Zika virus is known to circulate in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific region. Zika virus had only been known to cause sporadic infections in humans until 2007, when an outbreak in Micronesia infected 31 people.
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Source: IMO
