– Global risk –
A day after declaring the spike in serious birth defects in South America an international emergency, the World Health Organization said it had created a global Zika response unit to contain the virus.
WHO expert Anthony Costello emphasized the urgency of rapid action, stressing there was no reason to believe the crisis would remain limited to Latin America.
“We know that the mosquitoes that carry Zika virus… are present through most of Africa, parts of southern Europe and many parts of Asia, particularly south Asia,” he said.
Underlining Costello’s point, Thai officials announced a man had contracted the virus in the country.
Cape Verde and Indonesia have also reported domestic Zika cases.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies joined the WHO in declaring an “emergency,” and appealed for 2.4 million Swiss francs ($2.36 million) to support its response in the Americas.
French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi meanwhile announced it had begun research into a vaccine for Zika, for which there is currently no specific treatment.
Developing a vaccine could however take years, experts say.
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