Zika virus could hit Europe within WEEKS: Madeira and the Black Sea are on high alert
The Zika virus is expected to hit parts of Europe in late spring and summer, health officials warned today.
In its first assessment of the threat Zika poses to theregion, the World Health Organization’s European office said theoverall risk was small to moderate.
Overall, a third of countries in Europe have a ‘moderate’ risk of an outbreak of the virus, which has been linked to severe birth defects in babies.
And while the UK is deemed to be ‘low’ risk, today’s announcement will undoubtedly worry holidaymakers, particularly those who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy.
Madeira and the Black Sea are on high alert – but popular tourist destinations including France, Italy and Spain are also at ‘moderate risk’.
Officials should continue to be alert to detect imported cases early and provide public health advice to travellers, the WHO said.
The Zika virus may spread into Europe as the weather gets warmer, health officials warned today. Many countries such as France, Italy, Malta, Croatia and Spain are at moderate risk for local Zika virus transmission, the WHO report concluded
The likelihood of local Zika virus transmission, if no measures are taken to mitigate the threat, is moderate in 18 countries in Europe.
The risk is highest in areas whereAedes mosquitoes thrive, in particular on the island of Madeiraand the north-eastern coast of the Black Sea.
Thirty-six countries – or 66% – have a low, very low or no likelihood, owing to the absence of Aedes mosquitoes or suitable climatic conditions for their establishment.
Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO regional director for Europe, said: ‘The new evidence published today tells us that there is a risk of spread of Zika virus disease in the European region and that this risk varies from country to country.
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‘With this risk assessment, we at WHO want to inform and target preparedness work in each European country based on its level of risk.
‘We call particularly on countries at higher risk to strengthen their national capacities and prioritise the activities that will prevent a large Zika outbreak.’
Dr Nedret Emiroglu, director of the Communicable Diseases and Health Security Division of the WHO’s Regional Office for Europe, said: ‘We stand ready to support European countries on the ground in case of Zika virus outbreaks.
‘Our support to countries in the region to prepare for and respond to health risks such as Zika is a key aspect of the reform of WHO’s work in emergencies.’
Mosquito-borne transmission of the virus is present in 58 countries, the organisation said.
The most recent figures show that 23 UK travellers have been infected after visiting affected regions.
The majority of those infected with Zika will have no symptoms, but for others it can cause a mild illness with symptoms including a rash, fever and headache.
Serious complications that arise from infection are not common but experts have said the virus can cause microcephaly and other congenital abnormalities as well as a rare disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Areas affected by today’s warning:
The WHO’s European region covers 53 countries and apopulation of nearly 900 million.
It stretches from the ArcticOcean in the north to the Mediterranean Sea in the south andfrom the Atlantic in the west to the Pacific in the east.
A large and spreading outbreak of Zika that began in Brazilhas caused global alarm. The virus has been linked to thousandsof cases of a birth defect known as microcephaly in babies ofwomen who become infected with Zika while pregnant.
The WHO has said there is strong scientific consensus thatZika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndromethat causes temporary paralysis in adults.
The WHO’s Geneva headquarters in February declared the Zikaoutbreak a public health emergency of international concern(PHEIC), warning it was spreading ‘explosively’ in the Americas
The WHO’s European office said that if no measures are takento mitigate the threat, the presence of the Aedes aegyptimosquitoes that can carry the virus mean the likelihood of localZika transmission is moderate in 18 countries in the region.
Overall, a third of countries in Europe have a ‘moderate’ risk of an outbreak of the virus, which has been linked to severe birth defects in babies such as microcephaly (file image)
A further 36 countries have low, very low or no likelihood,the assessment found. Aedes mosquitoes are not found in thosecountries and their climates would not be suitable for themosquitoes to establish themselves.
Countries with high and moderate risk of Zika should improvevector-control measures to prevent the spread of mosquitoes andreduce their density, WHO Europe said. They also should equiphealth workers to detect cases early, report them swiftly, andhelp people at risk – notably pregnant women – protectthemselves from infection, it said.
The WHO’s European risk analysis took in multiple factors,among them the presence of Zika-transmitting mosquitoes,suitable climates for the mosquito, previous history oftransmission of dengue or chikungunya, ship and flightconnections, and population density and urbanization.
It also considered the capacity of the country to containtransmission at an early stage, based on four main factors:vector control, clinical surveillance, laboratory capacity andemergency risk communications.
The WHO’s regional office is convening a meeting of Europeanhealth experts in Portugal from June 22-24 to discuss the Zikathreat further.
Areas such as Madeira and the Black Sea are on high alert because these are where the Aedes mosquitoes thrive. However popular tourist destinations including France, Italy and Spain are also at ‘moderate risk’