The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on the danger posed by Zika virus outbreak in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The explosive spread of Zika virus to new geographical areas, with little population immunity, was a cause for concern, WHO Director General Margaret Chan said.
The Zika virus has already spread to Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana,Guatemala, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico,Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, San Martin, Suriname and Venezuela.
The WHO stressed that the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which carries Zika and also dengue and chikungunya viruses, is already present in all countries in the Americas besides Canada and Chile.
Although a causal link between Zika infection in pregnancy and microcephaly has not been established, the circumstantial evidence is suggestive and extremely worrisome, Chan stated.
I thank all the countries recently affected for the rapid detection of the virus and the transparency when reporting to WHO in accordance with international health regulations, Chan said.
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