MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Zika virus affects primarily monkeys and humans and is transmitted by daytime-active mosquitos. It can lead to babies being born with microcephaly, which is a case of an underdeveloped brain.
"The International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on #ZikaVirus to meet on Mon., 1 Feb 2016 in Geneva #Zika," Chan was quoted as saying on WHO's official Twitter account.
The Zika outbreak originated in Brazil and spread across Latin America, causing several deaths and cases of micro-encephalitis and inflammation of the brain that cause deformities in newborns. The first case of the mosquito-borne virus crossing into Europe from Latin America was confirmed late Tuesday in Denmark.
Last week, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned pregnant women to avoid traveling to Zika-affected countries in Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
