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The Zika virus is spreading faster than "wild fire", the entire South America exclude Chile has the disease.Is Guyana prepared for this virus, noting the severe shortage of basic drugs.Research is being done, test on humans in two years and the vaccine maybe ready in ten years. Guyana is a prime breading ground, with lots of stagnant water everywhere.With the up coming 50th celebration in May, tourists may think twice to attend, High crime and now Small Mosquito.

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WHO FORSEES ZIKA OUTBREAD IN AMERICAS.

[Guyana and Barbados 50th anniversary, also Brazil Olympic Games might be vulnerable. A high school international reunion in Guyana is cancelled].

by Tom Miles – Haaretz: World Health Organization Foresees a Zika Outbreak Through the Americas

The mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has been linked to brain damage in thousands of babies in Brazil, is likely to spread to all countries in the Americas except for Canada and Chile, the World Health Organization said on Monday.

Zika transmission has not yet been reported in the continental United States, although a woman who fell ill with the virus in Brazil later gave birth to a brain-damaged baby in Hawaii.

Brazil's Health Ministry said in November that Zika was linked to a fetal deformation known as microcephaly, in which infants are born with smaller-than-usual brains.

Brazil has reported 3,893 suspected cases of microcephaly, the WHO said last Friday, over 30 times more than in any year since 2010 and equivalent to 1-2 percent of all newborns in the state of Pernambuco, one of the worst-hit areas.

The Zika outbreak comes hard on the heels of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, demonstrating once again how little-understood diseases can rapidly emerge as global threats.

"We've got no drugs and we've got no vaccines. It's a case of dÃĐjà vu because that's exactly what we were saying with Ebola," said Trudie Lang, a professor of global health at the University of Oxford. "It's really important to develop a vaccine as quickly as possible."

Large drug-makers' investment in tropical disease vaccines with uncertain commercial prospects has so far been patchy, prompting health experts to call for a new system of incentives following the Ebola experience.

"We need to have some kind of a plan that makes (companies) feel there is a sustainable solution and not just a one-shot deal over and over again," Francis Collins, director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, said last week.

The Sao Paulo-based Butantan Institute is currently leading the research charge on Zika and said last week it planned to develop a vaccine "in record time", although its director warned this was still likely to take three to five years.

British drug-maker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L) said on Monday it was studying the feasibility of using its vaccine technology on Zika, while France's Sanofi (SASY.PA) said it was reviewing possibilities.

Rio Concerns

The virus was first found in a monkey in the Zika forest near Lake Victoria, Uganda, in 1947, and has historically occurred in parts of Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. But there is little scientific data on it and it is unclear why it might be causing microcephaly in Brazil.

Laura Rodrigues of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said it was possible the disease could be evolving.

If the epidemic is still going on in August, when Brazil is due to host the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, then pregnant women should either stay away or be obsessive about covering up against mosquito bites, she said.

The WHO advised pregnant women planning to travel to areas where Zika is circulating to consult a healthcare provider before traveling and on return.

The clinical symptoms of Zika are usually mild and often similar to dengue, a fever which is transmitted by the same Aedes aegypti mosquito, leading to fears that Zika will spread into all parts of the world where dengue is commonplace.

More than one-third of the world’s population lives in areas at risk of dengue infection, in a band stretching through Africa, India, Southeast Asia and Latin America.

Zika's rapid spread, to 21 countries and territories in the Americas since May 2015, is due to the prevalence of Aedes aegypti and a lack of immunity among the population, the WHO said in a statement.

Risk to Girls

Like rubella, which also causes mild symptoms but can lead to birth defects, health experts believe a vaccine is needed to protect girls before they reach child-bearing age.

Evidence about other transmission routes, apart from mosquito bites, is limited.

"Zika has been isolated in human semen, and one case of possible person-to-person sexual transmission has been described. However, more evidence is needed to confirm whether sexual contact is a means of Zika transmission," the WHO said.

While a causal link between Zika and microcephaly has not yet been definitively proven, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said the circumstantial evidence was "suggestive and extremely worrisome".

In addition to finding a vaccine and potential drugs to fight Zika, some scientists are also planning to take the fight to the mosquitoes that carry the disease.

Oxitec, the UK subsidiary of U.S. synthetic biology company Intrexon (XON.N), hopes to deploy a self-limiting genetically modified strain of insects to compete with normal Aedes aegypti.

Oxitec says its proprietary OX513A mosquito succeeded in reducing wild larvae of the Aedes mosquito by 82 percent in an area of Brazil where 25 million of the transgenic insects were released between April and November. Authorities reported a big drop in dengue cases in the area.

2016 Rio Olympic Games, Brazil – [1966-2016] 50th Independence Celebrations, Guyana, South America – Barbados, Eastern Caribbean

Tola

Zika virus spreading 'explosively,' WHO warns

CTVNews.ca Staff, Published Thursday, January 28, 2016 7:41AM EST,  Last Updated Thursday, January 28, 2016 11:21AM EST,  http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/z...-who-warns-1.2755434

CTV News Channel: 3 Canadians infected with Zika

With concerns that the Zika virus is “spreading explosively,” the World Health Organization is convening an emergency committee on Monday to decide if the outbreak should be declared an international health emergency.

In a statement Thursday morning, WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan said there is an “extremely high” level of concern about the virus, which may be linked to a serious birth defect and neurological problems in some parts of South America.

“Questions abound. We need to get some answers quickly,” she said.

Although there is still no proof that Zika is responsible for a sudden spike in the number of babies being born in Brazil with abnormally small heads – a condition called microcephaly -- a causal relationship between the virus and birth defects “is strongly suspected,” the WHO statement said.

“The possible links, only recently suspected, have rapidly changed the risk profile of Zika, from a mild threat to one of alarming proportions,” Chan said.

“The increased incidence of microcephaly is particularly alarming, as it places a heart-breaking burden on families and communities.”

The virus is also being linked to an increase in cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the nervous system.

The Zika virus has spread to more than 20 countries in the Americas in the last year. It is transmitted by a species of daytime mosquito called Aedes aegypti. Earlier this week, the WHO said the virus is likely to spread to every country in the Americas, except Canada and continental Chile.

Dr. Chan said Thursday it is concerned about the lack of immunity in the newly affected areas in the Americas, as well as the absence of a vaccine, any specific treatments, or any rapid diagnostic tests.

“For all these reasons, I have decided to convene an Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations,” she said, adding that the committee would meet in Geneva.

“I am asking the committee for advice on the appropriate level of international concern and for recommended measures that should be undertaken in affected countries and elsewhere. I will also ask the Committee to prioritize areas where research is most urgently needed.”

Millions of asymptomatic cases

In a conference call with journalists Thursday, Sylvain Aldighieri, head of WHO's epidemic response team in the Americas, said there could be as many as 3 to 4 million cases of Zika in the Americas over the next year.

He said that estimate was based on the previous spread of dengue fever, which is also carried by the same mosquito species.

 But Aldighieri noted that the vast majority of those cases will be asymptomatic, meaning they won’t show the typical rash and fever that Zika infection can cause in 20 per cent or patients. This "silent circulation" of the disease may make tracking the virus’ spread more difficult, he said.

Dr. Bruce Aylward, who runs WHO's outbreaks and health emergencies department, noted in the conference call that there is a lot of uncertainty on these estimates which are likely to change as more is learned about the virus and its spread.

He added that WHO is working with both the global scientific community and industry leaders to help develop a Zika virus test, treatments and perhaps a vaccine. He added that Monday’s emergency meeting will also look to prevent “inappropriate” travel or trade bans.

As for where it will spread next, Aylward says any countries that already have dengue fever should be on the lookout for Zika infections.

Earlier on CTV’s Canada AM, Dr. Vanessa Allen, the chief of microbiology with Public Health Ontario, said she felt the concern about the Zika virus was justified.

“It’s new because it’s in a population that has never been exposed to this virus. A lot of people are getting sick and I think it’s appropriate for us to mobilize in this case. I think there’s a lot still to be learned about the virus,” she said.

Allen said her hope is that the wealth of knowledge around the world can be mobilized to begin working on ways to protect people from the virus. That could include the development of a vaccine, although she warned that would take years.

“Usually, it takes at least 10 years for a vaccine to be developed and fully checked to make sure it’s safe for production,” she said.

That process could be expedited the way it was for the Ebola virus, she said. In that case, a vaccine went to the human trials stage much faster than normal. But she said a vaccine is likely a long way off, even in the best-case scenario.

“Certainly, it would not be in the phase of several months; it would be several years,” Allen said.

She added that other tools to fight the virus could be developed in the meantime. They could include better diagnostic tests and perhaps targeted Zika treatments, as none currently exist.

With files from The Associated Press28, 2016.

WHO on Zika: We need 'answers quickly'

China's Margaret Chan, General Director of the World Health Organization, WHO, speaks about the Information Session on Zika virus for WHO Member States, during a WHO Executive Board session, at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)

Zika Virus

An Aedes aegypti mosquito is photographed through a microscope at the Fiocruz institute in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil on Jan. 27, 2016.(Felipe Dana / AP Photo)

FM
kp posted:

Canadians can only get the disease if they go to countries infected with that strain of mosquito. That strain of mosquito cannot survive in cold climate.

There are reports today of two Canadian returned home with the infection and during winter more Canadians travel to tropical countries. The infection also appear in the southern United Sates.  This might affect tourism. 

Tola

The evaluation of the Zika mosquito.

A long time ago, a political party in Guyana try mating the killer-bees with friendly mosquitoes, with the hope that anyone the mosquito bite will vote for their party.

Unfortunately, the man doing the experiment went to work with a hangover  and like the guy who was crossed with a fly, the experiment went haywire and the result is the Zika  virus.

Like most things on GNI, its a political issue, so don't sweat the small stuff.  LOL

Tola

Guyana included....

Zika virus: 6 things to know about the growing outbreak

Since hitting Brazil last May, the Zika virus has spread to at least 21 other countries in the Americas

By Tiffany Bateman, for CBC News Posted: Jan 28, 2016 3:18 PM ETLast Updated: Jan 28, 2016 4:13 PM ET

A health ministry worker fumigates a house in Managua, Nicaragua on Jan. 26, 2016. Cases of the virus have been confirmed in 24 countries, 22 of which are in the Americas.

A health ministry worker fumigates a house in Managua, Nicaragua on Jan. 26, 2016. Cases of the virus have been confirmed in 24 countries, 22 of which are in the Americas. (Oswaldo Rivas/Reuters)

 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 

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The mosquito-borne Zika virus is drawing global attention due to its rapid spread and its possible connection to a rare neurological birth defect.

Earlier today, the head of the World Health Organization said Zika is "spreading explosively" and that an emergency meeting would take place Monday to decide if the virus outbreak should be declared an international health emergency.

 

Brazil has reported more than 4,000 cases of babies born recently with microcephaly, a brain condition characterized by an abnormally small head that can lead to developmental issues or even death. That number compares with fewer than 150 cases in the country for all of 2014.

 And with no vaccine or treatment for Zika, it is likely to keep spreading.

 Here's what you need to know about the virus that is putting health officials around the world on alert.

  • Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, and Dr. Bruce Aylward, assistant director for emergencies, raised the alarm about the mosquito-borne Zika virus 'spreading explosively' in the Americas at a special meeting in Geneva on Jan. 28, 2016.
  • The WHO is concerned about Zika virus chiefly for its possible link to microcephaly and the potential for its spread given the wide range of its mosquito vector. Brazilian officials report a spike in cases of the birth defect and strongly suspect Zika virus is the cause.
  • In Brazil a major effort to eradicate the mosquito tied to Zika virus is underway. The virus has slumbered for decades but co-spreading with dengue fever in the mid-2000s, including an outbreak linked to neurological complications on some Pacific islands, were precursors to today's 'dramatically different' situation, according to the WHO.
  • Some 220,000 soldiers have been mobilized in Brazil to fight mosquitoes. These fumigators are part of a push to disinfect the Sambadrome on Jan. 26 ahead of Rio de Janeiro's famous Carnival parades. The venue will also host archery events during the Summer Olympics.
  • These Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, in a lab at the Fiocruz institute in Recife, are the vector for Zika virus and the target of mass eradication efforts in Brazil. According to the WHO, the Zika virus outbreak is likely to spread throughout nearly all the Americas.
  • Estafany Perreira holds her five-month-old nephew, who has microcephaly, in Recife on Jan. 25. Over 4,000 suspected cases of the rare birth defect have been recorded in Brazil in recent months. The WHO says investigators are still looking into a link between the virus and the defect.
  • Scenes of daily life in Recife, in Brazil's northeastern Pernambuco state, now include fumigators sent to areas where stagnant water make for prime mosquito-breeding territory.
  • Preventative efforts are underway in other South and Central American countries as well. This man sprays a smoke-like insecticide in Nicaragua's capital, Managua, on Jan. 26.
  • Venezuela, which recorded its first cases of Zika virus in December, continues its mosquito spraying operation in Caracas, and other cities, on Jan. 28.
  • These men are shrouded in clouds of insecticide in Nicaragua's capital on Jan. 26. Nicaragua reported its first cases of Zika, in two women in Managua, on Jan. 27.
  • The WHO has listed one case of Zika virus in Guatemala since mid-November. Here, a public health worker feeds sterile female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes at a lab in Guatemala City on Jan. 26 as part of a government-backed program to prevent the virus's spread.
  • The WHO lists three lab-confirmed cases of Zika virus in El Salvador. As part of preventative measures, health ministry workers are fumigating homes against mosquitoes.
  • Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, and Dr. Bruce Aylward, assistant director for emergencies, raised the alarm about the mosquito-borne Zika virus 'spreading explosively' in the Americas at a special meeting in Geneva on Jan. 28, 2016. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters)
  • The WHO is concerned about Zika virus chiefly for its possible link to microcephaly and the potential for its spread given the wide range of its mosquito vector. Brazilian officials report a spike in cases of the birth defect and strongly suspect Zika virus is the cause. (Felipe Dana/AP)
  • In Brazil a major effort to eradicate the mosquito tied to Zika virus is underway. The virus has slumbered for decades but co-spreading with dengue fever in the mid-2000s, including an outbreak linked to neurological complications on some Pacific islands, were precursors to today's 'dramatically different' situation, according to the WHO. (Felipe Dana/AP)
  • Some 220,000 soldiers have been mobilized in Brazil to fight mosquitoes. These fumigators are part of a push to disinfect the Sambadrome on Jan. 26 ahead of Rio de Janeiro's famous Carnival parades. The venue will also host archery events during the Summer Olympics. (Leo Correa/AP)
  • These Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, in a lab at the Fiocruz institute in Recife, are the vector for Zika virus and the target of mass eradication efforts in Brazil. According to the WHO, the Zika virus outbreak is likely to spread throughout nearly all the Americas. (Mario Tama/Getty )
  • Estafany Perreira holds her five-month-old nephew, who has microcephaly, in Recife on Jan. 25. Over 4,000 suspected cases of the rare birth defect have been recorded in Brazil in recent months. The WHO says investigators are still looking into a link between the virus and the defect. (Mario Tama/Getty)
  • Scenes of daily life in Recife, in Brazil's northeastern Pernambuco state, now include fumigators sent to areas where stagnant water make for prime mosquito-breeding territory. (Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters)
  • Preventative efforts are underway in other South and Central American countries as well. This man sprays a smoke-like insecticide in Nicaragua's capital, Managua, on Jan. 26. (Oswaldo Rivas/Reuters)
  • Venezuela, which recorded its first cases of Zika virus in December, continues its mosquito spraying operation in Caracas, and other cities, on Jan. 28. (Marco Bello/Reuters)
  • These men are shrouded in clouds of insecticide in Nicaragua's capital on Jan. 26. Nicaragua reported its first cases of Zika, in two women in Managua, on Jan. 27. (Inti Ocon/AFP/Getty)
  • The WHO has listed one case of Zika virus in Guatemala since mid-November. Here, a public health worker feeds sterile female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes at a lab in Guatemala City on Jan. 26 as part of a government-backed program to prevent the virus's spread. (Josue Decavele/Reuters)
  • The WHO lists three lab-confirmed cases of Zika virus in El Salvador. As part of preventative measures, health ministry workers are fumigating homes against mosquitoes. (Marvin Recinos/AFP/Getty)
1 of 12

 What is Zika?

 The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne illness first discovered in 1947 when it was isolated from a monkey found in Uganda's Zika Forest.

 The virus has been reported in humans in Asia and Africa since the 1950s, and was first found outside its usual geographic area in 2007, when there was an outbreak in Micronesia, a small cluster of islands in the western Pacific Ocean.

 The virus eventually made its way to the Americas and was reported on Easter Island, off the coast of Chile, in 2014. Brazil reported the first case of local Zika transmission in May 2015.

 Health officials are particularly concerned about Zika because as a relatively new disease, there has been little to no exposure to the virus by the general population, leading to low immunity.

 This helps the virus spread — and quickly.

 How is Zika transmitted?

 The virus is primarily transmitted through the Aedes aegypti mosquito, a particularly aggressive, white-speckled mosquito that bites during the day. (This is the same mosquito that spreads dengue and chikungunya viruses, making it a triple threat.)

HEALTH-ZIKA/PERU-MEASURES

Specimens of Aedes aegypti mosquito are exhibited during a campaign to raise awareness around the prevention of the Zika virus in Lima, Peru. This species of mosquito is troublesome as it bites during the day. (Mariana Bazo/Reuters)

 Transmission occurs when an Aedes mosquito feeds on a person infected with Zika, and then spreads the virus by biting an uninfected person.

 According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there has been one possible case of transmission through blood transfusion and one possible case of transmission through sexual activity.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), a regional office of WHO, notes Zika can be transmitted through blood, "but this is an infrequent mechanism."

So far there is limited evidence on whether Zika can be transferred from mother to child during pregnancy or at the moment of childbirth. But because of the rash of microcephaly cases in Brazil, which spiked after the first confirmed case of Zika, this maternal link is "strongly suspected" and being closely studied.

 The Aedes mosquito is prevalent throughout the Americas, with the exception of Canada and Chile, which is another reason for the virus's rapid spread.

 What are the symptoms?

 Only one in five of those infected with Zika show symptoms, which develop up to one week after being bitten.

 Most symptoms are mild, and include fever, rash, headache, muscle and joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). They can last for two to seven days.

 Most symptoms can be easily treated with rest and plenty of fluids. If symptoms worsen, a doctor should be consulted.

There's no vaccine to prevent the Zika virus and no medication to treat it.

 There is some evidence of a Zika infection causing serious complications, including microcephaly, with the greatest risk appearing to be associated with the first trimester of pregnancy.

The CDC notes that severe cases of Zika requiring hospitalization are "uncommon" and death is "rare."

Brazil Zika Birth Defects

A Brazilian man holds his daughter, Luiza, at their house in Santa Cruz do Capibaribe. Luiza was born in October with a rare condition known as microcephaly. Researchers are still determining the condition's connection to the Zika virus. (Felipe Dana/Associated Press)

 There are also links between Zika and Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), with a number of GBS patients in Brazil, French Polynesia and El Salvador also having symptoms consistent with Zika virus infection. GBS can start with tingling and weakness in the body and progress to muscle weakness and paralysis. Most people with GBS recover completely.

Neurological symptoms, such as meningitis, have also been reported in outbreaks of Zika. 

 Which areas are affected by Zika?

 Zika is currently present in 24 countries and territories, 22 of which are in the Americas.

Zika-map

Most of the countries affected by the virus are in Central and South America, according to the U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (CBC)

 As a response, a number of countries around the world have issued Zika-related travel warnings.

 Earlier this month, the Public Health Agency of Canada issued a level-two travel notice, warning Canadian travellers to "practise special precautions" if heading to areas where the virus is circulating. In particular, PHAC warns pregnant women to visit their health-care provider before and after a planned trip to assess the risk.

 The CDC issued a similar notice, suggesting pregnant women postpone travel to affected regions.

Officials in some countries, including Brazil, Colombia and El Salvador, have gone so far as to warn women against getting pregnant.

 Will it come to Canada?

 There have already been travel-related cases of Zika reported in Canada in travellers returning from places where the virus is circulating. But there have been no reports of locally acquired cases, and it's very unlikely there ever will be.

 The transmitting vector — the Aedes aegypti and possibly the Aedes albopictus species of mosquito â€” does not live in Canada.

Climate largely determines where these mosquitoes live, with the species thriving in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Canada's colder conditions mean the species is unlikely to become established here.

And without this mosquito, Zika cannot be transmitted from person-to-person.

Because of the possibility of blood-based transmission, the Canadian Blood Services is going to stop accepting donations from people returning from Zika-hit countries. The U.S. FDA is said to be considering similar measures.

"We are carefully monitoring the Zika virus issue and are currently planning revisions to our travel-deferral policies in order to protect the Canadian blood supply from the threat of this virus. We are working with Health Canada and HÃĐma-QuÃĐbec to come up with the best strategy," Dr. Dana Devine, chief medical and scientific officer for Canadian Blood Services, said in an email statement.

 What's being done to prevent Zika?

 Since the primary transmitter of Zika is the Aedes mosquito, efforts are being made to prevent reproduction by eliminating their breeding grounds.

 The mosquitoes lay eggs near standing water, so officials are encouraging those in the affected areas to empty out containers where water can pool, such as buckets, flower pots, old tires or pets' water bowls, especially if they're close to a residence. Larvicide can also be added to standing water.

BRAZIL ZIKA VIRUS fumigators at Sambadrome ahead of Carnival Jan 26 2016

Workers disinfect the famous Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, ahead of the beginning of Rio's Carnival parade next month. Brazilian officials have vowed to mobilize some 220,000 troops to help eradicate the Aedes mosquito. (Marcelo Sayao/EPA)

 Another way to prevent transmission is to avoid mosquito bites. The use of mosquito repellent, clothing that covers most of the body, mosquito nets at night and screens on windows and doors will all help prevent bites.  

 In Brazil, officials have vowed to soon mobilize some 220,000 troops to help eradicate the Aedes mosquito through door-to-door visits. Those efforts may be doubled again in August, when the country plays host to the Olympic Games.

Ahead of Monday's emergency WHO meeting, the agency also says it's ramping up its surveillance systems in the affected countries and will "prioritize the development of vaccines and new tools to control mosquito populations."


Tiffany Bateman 

Tola
Mr.T posted:
kp posted:

They need an engineer  to solve the problem.  Remember  Cathy Hughes says Guyana has no cases of Zika. PNC lied. 

How you know that she lied? Can you provide the details of any patient that was diagnosed with zika at the time?

It is strongly believed that you are ground zero for the zika virus. Can you post a picture of your moon pass coconut head so we all see it?

FM

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