Insecticide to be sprayed inside planes from Zika affected regions
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Version 0 of 1. Planes landing in the UK from areas affected by the Zika virus are to be sprayed with insecticide as part of the government’s response to the outbreak. Zika, which is spreading through the Americas and can cause birth defects if pregnant women become infected, was declared an international emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday. No cases of the mosquito-borne virus have been reported in the UK, but two adults in Ireland were confirmed to have been infected. Both have since fully recovered. The government announced on Friday that, as a precautionary measure, it was asking airlines to ensure that disinsection takes place on all flights travelling to the UK from countries with confirmed transmission of Zika. Disinsection involves spraying an insecticide inside the aircraft to reduce the risk of passengers being bitten by any mosquitoes inside the plane. It already occurs on the majority of flights from the region, as a precaution against malaria. The move is consistent with advice from WHO Europe. Aedes mosquitoes, which transmit the virus, are extremely unlikely to be able to survive and breed in the UK due to the lower temperatures. The public health minister, Jane Ellison, said: “Disinsection is a highly precautionary measure to reduce the risk to passengers during flights to the UK. I want to reassure people that the risk to the UK population is extremely low. We advise people travelling to affected areas to reduce the risk of themselves being bitten by wearing mosquito repellent, long sleeves and trousers. “Pregnant women should consider avoiding travel to countries with the Zika virus, or, if travel is unavoidable, they ought to seek travel health advice from their GP or a travel clinic well in advance of their trip.” The government has also announced a further £1m funds for research to tackle the Zika virus. The chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, said: “We are determined to support international efforts to understand how to diagnose the disease and control its spread. The UK is a world leader in medical research and I look forward to the progress this funding will undoubtedly bring. The risk to the UK from Zika virus is extremely low.” Zika has been linked to thousands of babies in Brazil being born with underdeveloped brains. Colombia has also had a rise in numbers of patients diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder which can cause paralysis. WHO officials have predicted that as many as 4 million people could be infected with the virus this year. |