Zika virus spreading worldwide LIVE UPDATES
RT.com
27 Jan, 2016
The Zika virus that is believed to cause brain damage in infants is spreading worldwide after its outbreak in Brazil. WHO says it is likely to spread across the Americas, and the first cases have also been detected in Europe.
27 January 2016
15:17 GMT
Russian President Vladimir Putin has tasked the Health Ministry with developing a vaccine against the Zika virus and increasing cooperation with transport companies and air carriers top prevent its distribution around the globe.
“There’s some other stuff that’s moving from Latin America; another virus, which is spread by mosquitoes. Mosquitoes, of course, won’t be able to fly over the ocean, but infected people can. The virus has already appeared in Europe,” the president said.
Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova assured the head of state that the situation around Zika virus has been “kept under scrutiny” since the start of the current outbreak.
14:05 GMT
A total of 19 people have tested positive for Zika virus in Puerto Rico, although none were pregnant women, according to the island’s health secretary.
“An infected person must have come, who infected a population of mosquitoes, which in turn infected a local population, permitting the spread of the disease,” Puerto Rico’s Health Secretary Ana Rius said, as quoted by France 24.
14:00 GMT
American and United Airlines say they will allow some customers to cancel or postpone their trips if they are scheduled to fly to areas affected by the Zika virus.
United says its policy will include any areas listed in the CDC’s alert, while American’s policy so far includes flights to four destinations in Central America.
“We are offering customers who are traveling to the affected regions the opportunity to rebook at a later date or receive a full refund,” United spokesman Charles Hobart told Today in the Sky on Tuesday.
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