Zika Virus
WHO: Up to four million Zika-Infected
The world health organisation fears a rapid spread of Zika Virus in South and North America. Already on Monday should be about the proclamation of a worldwide Gesundheitsnotfalls be decided.
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Brazil: With special forces against Zika
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Brazil: With special forces against Zika
The Virusexperte the world health organization (WHO), Marcos Espinal, said in Geneva that he expected between three and four million Infected on the American continent. Brazil alone could be 1.5 million people with the pathogen to infect. Previously, he was in a total of 23 regions of the Americas occurred. The Virus especially applies to Pregnant women as dangerous, because it is suspected of causing birth defects in the newborn to cause.
“We are extremely alarmed”
The world health organization has, therefore, a special working group for the fight against Zika. Also wants you next Monday to decide whether a global Gesundheitsnotfall be proclaimed. “We are extremely alarmed,” stressed WHO Director-General Margaret Chan in Geneva. Espina warned, however, before panic. “This is not Ebola,” says the Director of the WHO Department for communicable diseases.
WHO Virusexperte Marcos Espinal
Zika is regarded as a Relative of the widespread Dengue fever. The pathogen is suspected, severe skull malformations in an Unborn cause, if the mother during pregnancy infected with: babies come with a much too small head on the world (Mikrozephalie); intellectual disability is the consequence. WHO Director Chan said, the connection is still not scientifically proven, there is however a strong suspicion. Brazil has almost 4000 cases of such malformations to the WHO reported. This is 30 times more than in the year 2010.
Before the proliferation was the Zika Virus, as relatively innocuous – the typical symptoms are mild fever, head and joint pain as well as redness. 80 percent of those Infected will have no symptoms at all -and not everyone Infected gets sick. Against Zika, there is no vaccine and no treatment.
Brazil’s army in the fight against Zika Virus
The Brazilian military will be with a major offensive mosquitoes as Vectors of the Virus. According to information from defence Minister Aldo Rebelo in Brazil in 356 cities and towns, as well as Thousands of schools across a risk informed and mosquitoes and their Eiablageplätze be destroyed. With 160,000 soldiers, as well as each of the 30,000 members of the Navy and air force to be used. So far have been in Brazil since last year already 4180 Mikrozephalie-known cases – 68 babies died.
WHO Director-General Margaret Chan
The Ministry of health provides a clear connection with the previously little-known, originally from Africa, coming Zika Virus. Also in Rio de Janeiro, the venue of the Olympic games in August, the number of such Schädelfehlbildungen increased significantly. Brazil’s President, Dilma Rousseff, announced for next Tuesday a Krisentreffen the health Ministers of the South American Alliance Mercosur. Before the next week’s beginning of the carnival in the Hauptveranstaltungsstätte, the Sambadrom in Rio de Janeiro, the mosquito with Spezialmitteln be fought, so no danger for the visitors.
Anti-Zika-use with the spray gun in the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro
Origin in the Zika forest in Uganda
Also Nicaragua reported the first infection. Honduras showed about 1000 contagions. The pathogen is present in over 20 countries in Latin America have surfaced. Experts fear spread to the entire American continent, with the exception of Alaska and Parts of Chile. The Virus was first in 1947 for the first time in a monkey from the Zikawald Uganda in Africa found. But only since 2015, there is a mass outbreak in Brazil took its start.
sti/uh (afp, dpa, rtr)