World Health Organisation: Zika virus ‘spreading explosively’

Declaring that the zika virus is “spreading explosively,” the chief of the World Health Organisation announced that it will hold an emergency meeting of independent experts on Monday to decide if the virus outbreak should be declared an international health emergency.

At a special meeting in Geneva, WHO director-general Margaret Chan said the virus — which has been linked to birth defects and neurological problems — is becoming more of a threat.

Dr Chan said although there was no definitive proof that the zika virus was responsible for a spike in the number of babies being born with abnormally small heads in Brazil, “the level of alarm is extremely high”.