Zika virus outbreak an international emergency: WHO

WHO, '지카 바이러스' 국제 보건 비상사태 선포 Acting strongly and swiftly,... the World Health Organization has declared the Zika virus a global public health emergency. At present,... the WHO says the most important protective measures are the control of mosquitoes and the prevention of mosquito bites,... especially in pregnant women. Kim Mok-yeon with the details. The World Health Organization has declared the mosquito-borne Zika virus a "public health emergency of international concern". The announcement came after an emergency meeting in Geneva on Monday made up of twelve health experts from the United States, Europe and Asia. "I am now declaring that the recent cluster of microcephaly and other neurological abnormalities reported in Latin America, following a similar cluster of French Polynesia in 2014 constitutes a public health emergency of international concern." WHO officials say the emergency has been called over the cluster of serious brain defects in unborn babies thought to be caused by the virus. Brazil's health minister says local researchers think Zika is the cause of the roughly 37-hundred confirmed and suspected microcephaly cases in Brazil, but the link has not yet been scientifically proven. He added that the virus cannot be transmitted from person-to-person, but only through mosquitoes. Since there is no known vaccine or cure yet, authorities say the only way to avoid contamination it is to avoid getting bitten by the Aedes mosquitoes that transmit the infection. With the WHO predicting up to four million infections by the end of the year, traveling and trading activities to infected countries could be restricted, but that hasn't happened yet. With the 2016 Rio Olympics just six months away,... panic is spreading,... particularly among female athletes, spectators and journalists. The Brazilian government has advised pregnant women to stay away from Rio until the outbreak is brought under control. The Russian and Australian teams have also told females athletes to consider carefully if they want to take part in the games. Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang News. Visit ‘Arirang News’ Official Pages Facebook(NEWS):   / newsarirang   Homepage: http://www.arirang.com Facebook:   / arirangtv   Twitter:   / arirangworld   Instagram:   / arirangworld