ALL STEM CELLS

Zika virus fears

Concern over the mosquitoborne Zika virus outbreak in the Americas is growing. In a statement on 24 January, the Pan American Health Organization warned that Zika is likely to reach all countries in the region where the Aedes mosquitoes that transmit the virus live. The organization, a regional office of the World Health Organization, called for improved mosquito control, and advised people, especially pregnant women, to protect themselves from bites. In a risk assessment on 21 January, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control called for more surveillance of travelers returning from affected countries, so as to rapidly identify potential cases.
This followed a 15 January travel warning from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about Zika, which some evidence has linked to babies born in Brazil with unusually small heads and brains.

Source : Nature Magazine 28, Jan, 2016