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 The illness, until recently viewed as relatively mild, has sparked
concern because of a possible link between infection in pregnancy
and microcephaly, a rare birth defect in which infants are born with
abnormally small heads that can be accompanied by developmental
problems.
Brazil, the worst hit country in an outbreak sweeping the Americas
and now present in more than 30 countries, is investigating a
potential link between Zika infections and more than 4,000 suspected
cases of microcephaly. Researchers have identified evidence of Zika
infection in 17 of these cases, either in the baby or in the mother,
but have not confirmed that the virus can cause microcephaly.
In its advice, the Geneva-based WHO said women in areas with the
virus should protect themselves, especially during pregnancy, by
covering up against mosquitoes and practicing safe sex through the
use of condoms. It said more evidence was needed to confirm whether
sex commonly transmits the virus.
The agency, which declared a health emergency over Zika on Feb. 1,
did not recommend travel restrictions but suggested women should
consult their doctors or authorities if traveling.
Pregnant women in general, including those who develop symptoms of
Zika infection, should see their health care provider for close
monitoring. But the WHO was also reassuring, declaring: "Most women
in Zika-affected areas will give birth to normal infants."
A study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine
provided new evidence strengthening the association between Zika
virus and a spike in birth defects, citing the presence of the virus
in the brain of an aborted fetus of a European woman who became
pregnant while living in Brazil.
Professor Tatjana Avšič Županc, who led the researchers in the
study, said in an email her team's findings "may present the most
compelling evidence to date" of the link between Zika and birth
defects.
As scientists race to find out more about the virus and its possible
effects, 30 of the world's leading scientific research institutions,
journals and funders pledged to share for free all data and
expertise on the virus as soon as they have it.
"The arguments for sharing data and the consequences of not doing so
(have been) ... thrown into stark relief by the Ebola and Zika
outbreaks," said the agreement by an unprecedented number of
signatories in the Americas, Japan, Europe and elsewhere. There is
as yet no vaccine or treatment for the disease.
Specialists welcomed the initiative, saying it showed how the global
health community had learned crucial lessons from West Africa's
Ebola epidemic, which killed more than 11,300 people.
Mark Woolhouse, a University of Edinburgh professor of infectious
diseases, said the commitment "if acted upon...will save lives."
ABORTION AND THE CHURCH
The Zika outbreak has raised the issue of a woman's reproductive
rights including abortion, a contentious issue in much of Latin
America. The WHO said on Wednesday that, "Women who wish to
terminate a pregnancy due to a fear of microcephaly should have
access to safe abortion services to the full extent of the law."
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Abortion is illegal in many cases in Brazil, and in much of the
region. Reflecting the influence of the Roman Catholic Church in
many parts of the Americas, a Catholic group appealed to Pope
Francis on Wednesday to allow Church members to "follow their
conscience" and use contraception or to let women have abortions to
protect themselves against Zika.
Catholics for Choice, a liberal advocacy group based in Washington,
said in a statement it would run ads in the International New York
Times and El Diario de Hoy in El Salvador on Thursday, the eve of a
papal trip to Cuba and Mexico.
"When you travel tomorrow (Friday) to Latin America, we ask you to
make it clear to your brother bishops that good Catholics can follow
their conscience and use birth control to protect themselves and
their partners," the ad will say, according to advance excerpts
released in the statement.
The Catholic Church teaches that life begins at the moment of
conception and that abortion is killing. It also bans artificial
birth control such as condoms, arguing that they block the possible
transmission of life. The ban is widely disregarded in many
countries, but activists say there is still a stigma attached to
birth control in some Latin American countries because of the edict.
In its statement on Wednesday, the WHO said microcephaly cannot
reliably be predicted by early ultrasounds, "except in extreme
cases." This point is important, as even in countries where abortion
services are freely available, they are generally prohibited after a
certain point in the pregnancy.
The head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on
Wednesday told a Congressional hearing that he expects Puerto Rico,
a U.S. territory in the Caribbean, to be hard hit by Zika.
Mosquitoes have already passed the virus to people in Puerto Rico
and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
"We will likely see significant numbers of cases in Puerto Rico and
other U.S. territories," CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden told the House
Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing.
So far there have been no cases of Zika passed by mosquitoes in the
continental United States, said U.S. Health and Human Services
Secretary Sylvia Burwell on Wednesday.
(Additional reporting by Philip Pullella in Vatican City, Bill
Berkrot in New York and Toni Clarke in Washington; Writing by
Frances Kerry and Lisa Shumaker; Editing by Bernard Orr)
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