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The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (March 25) closely monitoring the latest update on Zika virus of the World Health Organization (WHO), and again urged the public to adopt strict anti-mosquito measures during travel. Pregnant women and those planning pregnancy should consider deferring their trip to affected areas.
According to the WHO, 53 countries/areas have reported or indicated autochthonous Zika virus transmission since 2007, and five countries have reported or indicated locally acquired infections probably through sexual contact in the absence of any known mosquito vectors. They are detailed as follows:
A. Report/indication of autochthonous transmission and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and microcephaly (three)
Americas (two): Brazil, Panama;
Western Pacific (one): French Polynesia (outbreak terminated);
B. Report/indication of autochthonous transmission, GBS and no reports of microcephaly (nine)
Americas: Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Venezuela;
C. Report/indication of autochthonous transmission and no reports of GBS or microcephaly (41)
Africa (two): Cape Verde, Gabon;
Americas (22): Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Saint-Martin, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Maarten, Trinidad and Tobago, the US Virgin Islands;
Southeast Asia (four): Bangladesh, Indonesia, Maldives, Thailand;
Western Pacific (13): American Samoa, Cambodia, Fiji, Laos, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu;
D. Locally acquired without vector-borne transmission (five)
Americas (two): Argentina, the United States;
Europe (two): France, Italy; and
Western Pacific (one): New Zealand.
Given the temporal and geographical associations between Zika Virus Infections and microcephaly, the association between Zika virus and microcephaly observed in prospective and retrospective studies of women during pregnancy, and the repeated discovery of the virus in fetal brain tissue, a causal role for Zika virus is highly likely.
Similarly, Zika virus is highly likely to be a cause of the elevated incidence of GBS in countries/areas in the Western Pacific and the Americas.
The latest WHO Zika update can be accessed at its website (www.who.int/emergencies/zika-virus/situation-report/en).
"The public should pay special attention to the areas with ongoing Zika virus transmission (affected areas) and observe our ongoing health advice and special notes during travel," a spokesman for the DH said.
The DH has been maintaining close liaison with the WHO as well as overseas, neighbouring and Mainland health authorities to closely monitor the latest developments of Zika.
Locally, no human Zika cases have been reported to the CHP to date.
To prevent Zika Virus Infection, in addition to general anti-mosquito measures, the DH draws the public's attention to the special notes below:
A. Travelling abroad
* If going to areas with ongoing Zika transmission, travellers, especially those with immune disorders or severe chronic illnesses, should arrange consultation with a doctor at least six weeks before the trip, and take extra preventive measures to avoid mosquito bites;
* Those arriving from affected areas should apply insect repellent for 14 days upon arrival. If feeling unwell, e.g. having fever, they should seek medical advice as soon as possible, and provide travel details to a doctor;
B. Pregnant women and those preparing for pregnancy
* Pregnant women and those preparing for pregnancy should consider deferring their trip to affected areas. Those who must travel should seek medical advice from their doctor before the trip, adopt contraception if appropriate, strictly follow steps to avoid mosquito bites during the trip, and consult and reveal their travel history to their doctor if symptoms develop after the trip. Women preparing for pregnancy are advised to continue to adopt contraception for 28 days after returning from these areas; and
C. Special notes for prevention of sexual transmission regarding potential adverse pregnancy outcomes
* Pregnant women should not have sex with male partners who have travelled to areas with ongoing Zika virus transmission, or else condoms should be used throughout the pregnancy;
* Any male traveller returning from affected areas should:
(i) abstain from sex with his pregnant partner, or else use condoms throughout the pregnancy; and
(ii) use a condom for at least six months if his female partner may get pregnant.
The public may visit the pages below for more disease information and health advice:
* The CHP's Zika page (www.chp.gov.hk/en/view_content/43086.html);
* The Zika page of the DH's Travel Health Service (www.travelhealth.gov.hk/english/popup/popup_zika.html);
* The Outbound Travel Alert page of the Security Bureau (www.sb.gov.hk/eng/ota); and
* Anti-mosquito precautions for women (www.fhs.gov.hk/english/health_info/woman/30014.html).
Ends/Friday, March 25, 2016
Issued at HKT 13:28
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