…’explosive’ spread through 22 American states makes official expect 3 to 4 million cases
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called an emergency meeting to decide whether or not to declare an international emergency over the Zika disease. The virus, which has spread rapidly across borders, may be linked with birth defects called microcephally or babies with small heads.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr. Margaret Chan told a member states representatives’ meeting in Geneva on Thursday that an emergency committee would meet on Monday to decide if the virus’ outbreak should be declared an international emergency.
Chan said the virus – linked with a surge in the number of babies being born with abnormally small heads in Brazil – was spreading explosively.
While there is still no definitive proof of a link between Zika and the microcephaly defect, Chan said, “the level of alarm is extremely high.”
The WHO last declared an international emergency over the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which killed more than 11,000 people.
“We can expect 3 to 4 million cases of Zika virus disease,” Marcos Espinal, an infectious disease expert at the WHO’s Americas regional office said, neglecting to provide a timeframe for his figure.
Earlier, researchers had urged Chan to call such a meeting, warning of the potential for a pandemic.
Echoes of Ebola
Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, they urged authorities to avoid apparent mistakes it made in dealing with the recent Ebola crisis.
In their article, “The Emerging Zika Pandemic – Enhancing Preparedness,” medical experts Daniel R. Lucey and Lawrence O. Goslin, called on WHO to learn from past mistakes and show global leadership.
“The director-general was widely criticised for waiting four months after the first cross-border transmission of Ebola before declaring a PHEIC,” said the authors. “A key lesson learnt from that searing experience was the need for an intermediate-level response to emerging crises, thus avoiding overreaction while still galvanizing global action.”
“The international community cannot afford to wait for the WHO to act,” the pair added. They warned that Zika had “explosive” pandemic potential with outbreaks in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands as well as the Americas.
Evidence so far ‘circumstantial’
The flu-like symptoms caused by Zika are so mild it can often go undetected. However, a sudden rise in the number of cases of microcephaly in Brazil has been linked with the spread of the virus. Traces of Zika genetic material have been identified in affected brain tissue, amniotic fluid and miscarried foetuses.
Several countries have warned pregnant women not to travel to the 22 nations in the Americas where the virus has so far been reported. The WHO and others have stressed that any link between Zika and the defect remains unproven and circumstantial. Microcephaly can also be caused by genetics, malnutrition or drugs.