(Courtesy CCTV) — A Portugal tropical disease expert urged Europe to be vigilant against possible Zika virus outbreak.
Vitor Laerte, an expert at the Portuguese Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Diseases, said that “Based on previous cases that we’ve recorded here in Europe of other viruses like Chikungunya, we have had cases in Italy, south of France, south of Spain, so [in] these areas, there is a species of mosquito, albopictus, that adapts itself very well in these temperate climates. So it is a concern,” said Laerte.
He said that the development of the disease is alarming, but the mosquito-borne virus is unlikely to widely transmit during the wintertime.
Portuguese authorities said last Wednesday five people in Portugal have tested positive with the Zika virus after recent trips to Brazil. The authorities added these are five mild cases and they are working to prevent possible Zika virus outbreak.
“The great pressure is about the capacity of the virus to disseminate throughout a vast territory. So it’s a real concern and the concern is real. And the dissemination of the disease [is] here in this European territory. We have an advantage here because we are in the winter, so the transmissions are very improbable here in this moment.” said Laerte.
Although governments of the European countries cautioned against any kind of panic, doctors from the World Health Organization warned the Zika virus is now spreading outside the Latin America, and areas with temperate climates are highly susceptible to the virus.
Zika virus is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Zika virus outbreak in some countries of the Americas, notably Brazil, has been associated with a steep increase in the birth of babies with abnormally small heads and in cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome. (China Central Television)