WHO Declares Zika Virus No Longer Global Health Emergency, But Cautions Threat Remains Michaeleen Doucleff - Texas Public Radio
go to original November 19, 2016

Zika virus declared no longer an international emergency by WHO (euronews)

The World Health Organization announced Friday that it no longer considers the Zika epidemic a public health emergency of international concern.

But Zika's threat to pregnant women and babies is not going away anytime soon, the agency says. Instead, the virus is now a chronic problem, says the WHO's Dr. Pete Salama.

"It is really important that we communicate this very clearly: We are not downgrading the importance of Zika," Salama says. "In fact, by placing this as a longer term program of work, we're sending the message that Zika is here to stay. And WHO's response is here to stay, in a robust manner."

One thing is clear: Zika is still spreading. And microcephaly cases are still growing. Argentina reported its first potential case this week. And Florida continues to find people who caught Zika inside the state.

For these reasons, pregnant women — and their partners — still need to pay attention to where they travel, says Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Regardless of how WHO defines Zika, [the disease] is unprecedented, and it's an extraordinary risk for pregnant women," Frieden says. "That's why it's important that pregnant women not travel to places where Zika is spreading."

Right now, those places include countries across Latin America, the Caribbean, parts of Southeast Asia — and neighborhoods in Miami.

Read the rest at Texas Public Radio

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Related: Study: Zika Virus Can Linger on Hard Surfaces (CIDRAP News)

Related: Travelers to Latin America Urged to Take Precautions to Prevent Zika (Turlock Journal)

Related: Epidemiological Update Zika Virus Infection 17 November 2016 (ReliefWeb)

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