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​UK Government Warns Dangers Of Zika Remain In Brazil

​UK Government Warns Dangers Of Zika Remain In Brazil

A state of emergency was ended last Friday.

James Dawson

James Dawson

The UK government are still warning travellers of the dangers of the Zika virus in Brazil, despite the country declaring itself Zika free, reports The Independent.

The South American nation has endured a two-year battle with the deadly disease, but announced on Friday that it was ending the state of emergency that had been declared in response to the outbreak in 2015.

British authorities are still warning against travel to the region. While the state of emergency has ended in Brazil, the virus has not been totally eradicated and travellers still face a 'high risk of Zika virus transmission' compared to other parts of the world.

Cases are just five percent of what they were at the same point in 2016 and the peak of the Brazilian mosquito season has now passed.

Latin American Travel Association chief executive Tony Mason said: "The Brazilian government had confirmed that cases of the Zika virus are now down by 95 per cent in comparison to 2016.

Zika
Zika

Credit: PA

"This refers specifically to the first 100 days of the year which corresponds to the hottest period of the year in Brazil when the mosquito population is at its highest."

The National Travel Health Network Centre is still warning against unnecessary travel during pregnancy due to the risk of unborn children contracting the disease.

Zika is a virus carried by mosquitos and can appear similar to dengue fever, causing symptoms such as sore joints and headaches.

Only a quarter of those affected exhibit symptoms and the disease is rarely life-threatening, but it is untreatable when contracted and there is no known vaccine.

It is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, as a symptom is microcephaly, a birth defect that causes children to be born with undersized heads and underdeveloped brains.

It can also lead to Guillain-Barre syndrome, a muscle weakness that can cause paralysis and death in rare cases.

Brazil's tourist industry suffered heavily because of Zika, which deterred tens of thousands of travellers from visiting.

As soon as the outbreak was reported in 2015, the Brazilian health authorities began to combat the disease by eradicating mosquitos. The government has claimed that their efforts have been successful and the prevalence of Zika has plummeted.

"The end of the emergency doesn't mean the end of surveillance or assistance" said Adeilson Cavalcante, a Brazilian health authority spokesperson told a press conference. "The health ministry and other organisations involved in this area will maintain a policy of fighting Zika, dengue and chikungunya."

The World Health Organization still includes Brazil in the list of Category 1 areas for Zika, which offer a threat of 'new introduction or reintroduction with transmission'. Mexico, Argentina, the United States of America and the Maldives are also rated as Category 1. They announced the official end of the Zika epidemic last November.

The outbreak of the Zika virus was particularly damaging to Brazil, as it coincided with their hosting of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Several high-profile athletes refused to participate because of the perceived threat of contracting the virus. Golf was particularly affected, with six of the world's top 10 male golfers opting out of the Olympic tournament.

Sources: The Independent & Who

Featured Image Credit: PA Images