The World Health Organisation has declared a public health emergency centring Zika virus and its apparent links to neurological problems in children.
On Monday, WHO announced that the recent cluster of neurological disorders and neonatal malformations reported in the Americas region constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.
WHO Director General Margaret Chan called Zika an “extraordinary event” and a public health threat to other parts of the world.
A recent WHO meeting discussed the clusters of microcephaly cases and other neurological disorders in some areas affected by Zika.
Experts are worried that the virus is spreading far and fast, with devastating consequences while the infection has been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains.
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.
WHO has already warned that Zika is likely to spread explosively across nearly all of the Americas. More than 20 countries, including Brazil, are already reporting cases.
Local experts have warned that the emerging virus could reach Bangladesh any time.
“Although Zika itself is not a big threat as a virus to an individual body, but it becomes dangerous when a pregnant woman gets infected,” said Prof Mahmudur Rahman, director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
“However, since no infection has yet been detected in the South Asian region, we are still safe,” he assured while talking to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
The WHO says Zika disease is usually mild and requires no specific treatment. People affected with Zika should get plenty of rest, drink enough fluids, and treat pain and fever with common medicines. If symptoms worsen, they should seek medical care and advice.
