Zika virus threat to Mediterranean
holidays: UN warning that different species of mosquito found in Southern
Europe could act as carrier for the disease .
Holidaymakers traveling to the Mediterranean this summer
have been warned by the United Nations that the Zika virus could be passed by
mosquito bites.
Up to now, the threat to southern Europe has been downplayed
as the type of mosquito that spreads the disease is rare around Spain, France,
Portugal, Italy and Greece.
Warnings have
focused on trips to Brazil, which has seen nearly 4,000 cases of babies being
born with abnormally small skulls, South America and the Caribbean. The disease
has been spread in Brazil and the South America by the Aedes aegyptii mosquito
– which is rare in Europe.
But the World Health Organisation warned yesterday that
Europe could suffer outbreaks of the incurable virus.
It is now believed that a type of Aedes mosquito commonly
found in southern Europe – Aedes albopictus - could spread the disease. The warning that Zika could hit Europe is likely to add
further misery to travel companies. Airlines and travel agents have already seen bookings fall
to South America, the Caribbean where the virus has been confirmed and the
southern US where it is feared to be likely to spread.
Countries in Europe where Aedes Albopictus has been found
include Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland
according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The latest warning comes as the Royal College of
Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has advised that woman who have
travelled to countries affected by Zika should be offered four weekly scans of
their wombs to check for abnormalities.
The NHS Blood and Transplant also advised yesterday that
travellers who have been to countries affected by Zika cannot give blood for a
month after returning home.
Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, the WHO’s regional director for Europe
highlighted the threat to the Mediterranean yesterday in a statement.
She said: ‘Every European country in which Aedes mosquitos
are present can be at risk for the spread of Zika virus disease. ‘A number of travellers infected with Zika have entered
Europe, but the disease has not been transmitted further, as the mosquito is
still inactive.
‘With the onset of spring and summer, the risk that Zika
virus will spread increases.
‘Now is the time for countries to prepare themselves to
reduce the risk to their populations to their populations.
‘As there is no vaccine or treatment for Zika Virus disease
we must protect the European region by stopping the disease at its source.’
The WHO said it calls for eliminating mosquito breeding
sites in Europe, by spraying and killing larvae; informing people and
especially pregnant women how to prevent mosquito bites and enhance
surveillance of the Zika virus and develop tests and vaccines.
Meanwhile the Royal College of Obstetricians and
Gynaecologists (RCOG) has advised that any pregnant women in the UK who have
travelled to areas affected by Zika and is showing symptoms of the disease such
as fever should be tested for the disease.
Women with a confirmed case of the virus confirmed case of
the virus should be referred to a Foetal Medicine Unit and given ultrasound
scans every four weeks, instead of just at 12 and 20 weeks as is normally the
case.
Women who have been to Zika-hit areas not showing the test
will also be offered four weekly scans.
If an abnormality is found they will also be referred to the
Foetal Medicine Service.
Professor Alan Cameron, vice president for clinical quality
at the professional body, said: ‘We fully support the advice that pregnant
women should consider avoiding travelling to countries where Zika virus
outbreaks are ongoing, in order to reduce the potential risk to their babies.
Pregnant women who must travel, or choose to travel, to a
country with active Zika virus transmission should take all necessary
precautions to minimise the chances of mosquito bites. Insect repellents with
concentrations of DEET up to 50 per cent are commonly available and are safe
for pregnant women.’
He said women who are pregnant, trying to conceive, or
recently returned to the UK from countries where Zika is active should inform
their GP, midwife or obstetrician they may have been exposed to the virus, even
if they don’t show symptoms.
The RCOG added in its advice: ‘When a significant brain
abnormality or microcephaly is confirmed, the option of termination of
pregnancy should be discussed with the woman, regardless of gestation.’
Meanwhile, donors who have travelled to countries where Zika
has been confirmed cannot give blood for a month after returning home,
officials have said.
NHS Blood and Transplant said that ‘safety of the blood
supply is paramount’ as it put in place a 28-day ban on blood donation to
ensure that the virus is not passed on from February 4.
But as most of the countries affected already have a 28 day
deferral, the NHS said it did not expect the ban to affect blood supplies.
The World Health Organisation has declared an international
emergency over the virus and its link to birth defects.
Zika has been linked to thousands of babies being born with
underdeveloped brains in Brazil. Colombia has also seen a rise in the number of
patients diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder which can cause paralysis.
WHO officials have predicted as many as four million
people could be infected with the virus this year.
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