January 25, 2016

Zika virus – what do we know?

The Zika virus outbreak in Brazil continues, and three UK travellers have been diagnosed with the virus, having travelled to Colombia, Suriname and Guyana. Zika is a mosquito-transmitted virus – the specific vector is the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is found in tropical and subtropical regions.

Although most people that contract Zika have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, there is the suggestion that the increase in Zika case numbers in Brazil is associated with an increase in cases of babies born there with microcephaly (small head and underdeveloped brain). In the US the CDC has advised pregnant women to avoid travelling to infected countries.

It is an emerging situation in Brazil and there is still a lot we don’t know about Zika. There is currently no vaccine and no treatment.

Journalists came to the SMC to hear two scientists talk about:

• why has this Brazilian outbreak happened now?
• how does Zika get into our bodies and what does it do once it’s there?
• why is the risk bigger for pregnant women?
• what is the risk to the UK – is it likely we’ll see more cases in travellers returning home from affected regions?
• what can UK travellers do to minimise their risk of getting Zika if travelling to South America?
• what do we and the international community need to be doing to tackle the outbreak?
• how long might the outbreak last?
• what is the capacity to carry out research on the ground in the affected regions?

Speakers:

Prof. Laura Rodrigues, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Prof. Trudie Lang, Professor of Global Health Research and Head of the Global Health Network, University of Oxford