WHO: No Travel Advisory for Brazil Despite Zika Virus
By RIE TAKUMI, GMA News
The World Health Organization (WHO) is not recommending travel advisory for Brazil, host of the 2016 Rio Olympics and Paralympics, for now despite the reported spread there of the Zika virus.
“The WHO has not recommended any travel advisory,” Eloi Yao, WHO public information officer, said at a press briefing Wednesday. “WHO has not issued a travel advisory for Brazil but [is] in consultation with the heathcare providers.”
The WHO has declared the Zika virus as an international public health emergency due to its link to the increase of Guillain-Barré syndrome and microencephaly in outbreak areas.
The Brazilian Health Ministry said the suspected and confirmed cases of newborn with abnormally small heads linked to the mosquito-borne Zika virus in Brazil had increased to 4,074 as of Jan. 30 from 3,718 a week earlier.
Of a total of 4,783 notified cases of the neurological condition called microcephaly reported since October, 709 were found to be negative, the ministry said in its weekly tally.
Yao, meanwhile, advised those traveling to Brazil to take extra precaution to avoid possible infection.
“Those planning to go to the Olympics, be advised to do so, taking additional precaution while protecting themselves from mosquito bites,” he said.
“Make sure that they don’t [go to] places where we have breeding of many, many mosquitos,” Yao added.
Research is being undertaken by experts to determine the full effect of the virus and to formulate a vaccine to counter its effects. —with Reuters/KBK, GMA News