Quarantine authorities in some South and Central American countries are recommending that women of fertile age avoid getting pregnant in the coming months, citing a mosquito-borne virus, which is suspected of causing critical birth defects.
The instructions came after at least 1,000 women gave birth to babies with abnormally small heads — which is called microcephaly — in Brazil. It has been found that a certain proportion of the women were infected with the Zika virus during their pregnancy.
The virus has already swept over South and Central America and showed symptoms of spreading to North America and Europe.
Recent cases were also reported in Italy and Spain. Earlier this month, several U.S. travelers returned from Venezuela and Colombia with Zika, and similar symptoms were detected in a U.K. citizen, who visited the Caribbean.
The most serious effects are thought to occur in unborn babies when the women carrying them were bitten by mosquitos carrying the virus. The World Health Organization has yet to clarify whether the birth defects are connected to Zika.
Some reports estimate that nearly 4,000 babies have been born with malformed heads in Brazil over the past two years.
The Brazil government has pledged to pour funds into the search for a cure for the disease, and is in contact with the U.S. officials for a joint study.
Global experts, however, project that it would be at least three years before an effective vaccine can be produced.
The South Korean quarantine authority has to actively inform the public of the risks of the mosquito-borne epidemic and microcephaly
The Ministry of Health and Welfare need to publicize the critical situation like the case in Colombia, where an estimated 700,000 people are at risk of infection.
Women in the country have been told to wait at least six months before getting pregnant. Officials in Brazil, El Salvador, Ecuador and Jamaica have given similar advice.
Though Asia is still believed to be safe from the epidemic, officials should be alert to the situation that an infection was reported in a Thai adult.
The ministry should also closely exchange with opinions with the WHO and global researchers. Doctors worldwide are also looking into whether the disease can be transmitted via sexual relations or blood transfusions.
In May 2015, the Korean ministry was under public criticism for not making public the names of hospitals where suspected MERS patients were examined during the initial stage of virus spreading.
For the Zika case, preemptive measures and fast information-sharing with citizens should be pushed. The best way would be thorough isolation of suspected tourists by the airport quarantine station.
An urgent policy would be urging outbound tourists to refrain from visiting frequent-outbreak regions. Simultaneously, we hope the world will closely coordinate on taking care of the babies and fast extirpation of the virus.
Some allege the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals caused the influx of Zika into Brazil. Rio de Janeiro is scheduled to host the 2016 Summer Olympics in August.
