Climate change could worsen diseases like Zika virus, experts say

Canada’s health minister says that three people in Canada are infected with the Zika virus, while the World Health Organization warns the virus is “spreading explosively”.

Dr. Jameson says the virus has been on the radar since it emerged in Uganda during the 1940’s – showing up in different places around the world since then, but these are the first documented cases in the Western Hemisphere.

In addition, more than 13 countries in the Americas have reported sporadic Zika virus infections indicating rapid geographic expansion of Zika virus.

The move by the Canadian carriers comes after several global airlines, including United Airlines and American Airlines in the US, announced they were offering refunds to passengers concerned about the virus, believed capable of causing serious birth defects. The symptoms are similar to other arbovirus infections such as dengue, and include fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise, and headache.

“Zika is the latest example of the many mosquito-borne viruses which pose an increasing threat to humans due to warmer and wetter conditions associated with climate change”, Ms Armstrong said.

Earlier this month, the Public Health Agency of Canada said a B.C. resident who recently travelled to El Salvador had contracted the virus.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has called for a meeting of the member nations of South America’s Mercosur trading bloc to discuss ways to join forces to eliminate the Aedes mosquito and the Zika virus it transmits.

“We encourage, particularly pregnant women, or those who are considering pregnancy, to consider postponing travel to the countries that are affected”, Philpott said.

As well, Air Transat says pregnant women with a medical note can reschedule or change destinations if they were booked to fly to countries that have been listed as having the virus.

“The virus has been known to have been transmitted in 21 countries, as of today”, Philpott said Thursday. There is no medication to treat the Zika virus and no vaccine to prevent it. Officials said they are taking unspecified mosquito abatement measures.

More information on the Zika virus can be found through the BC Centre for Disease Control.

Senators are pushing the Obama administration for details on what it’s doing to prepare for a potential outbreak of the Zika virus.

Health officials suspect that Zika is linked to a wave of birth defects in Brazil in which babies have small heads.