CDC director says WHO declaration ‘calls world to action’ on Zika

– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community

PHUKET: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday the World Health Organization’s declaration of Zika as a global health emergency will focus new attention and resources on fighting the virus.

U.S. CDC Dr. Thomas Frieden said the declaration “calls the world to action” on Zika, a mosquito-borne virus that has been linked to thousands of cases of a birth defect in Brazil and is rapidly spreading in Latin America.

“CDC, along with the entire U.S. government, is actively involved in the world’s Zika response and working 24/7 to learn more about the virus and protect health,” Frieden said in a statement emailed to Reuters.

— Phuket Gazette Editors