World Health Organization issues global zika alert

The World Health Organisation has declared an international emergency over the explosive spread of the mosquito-borne zika virus, which is linked to birth defects in the Americas, saying it is an “extraordinary event”.

The UN health agency convened an emergency meeting of independent experts in Geneva to assess the outbreak after noting a link between zika’s arrival in Brazil last year and a surge in the number of babies born with abnormally small heads.

“After a review of the evidence, the committee advised that the clusters of microcephaly and other neurological complications constitute an extraordinary event and public health threat to other parts of the world,” WHO director-general Margaret Chan said.