“The more we know, the worse things look,” Dr. Chan told a news conference at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. “In less than a year the status of Zika has changed from a mild medical curiosity to a disease with severe public health implications.”
Dr. Chan referred to the current funding situation as “pretty serious.” WHO has requested $25 million from its members to fight Zika and has, to date, received $3 million from member nations. The organization is currently in talks for the additional $4 million.
The Zika virus has been linked to microcephaly, a birth defect in which babies are born with abnormally small heads. Zika has also exhibited a connection to other neurologically debilitating conditions such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, paralysis and deadly inflammation of the brain.
More articles on the Zika virus:
3 reasons Houston is preparing for Zika
CDC predicts 25 percent Zika infection rate for Puerto Rico within the year
Infographic: Where in the US have Zika cases been reported? [March 18 update]
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