WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On Friday, the World Health Organization said in a report that infections from local transmission of the Zika virus have been reported in least 33 nations, requiring an international response as the disease continues to spread.
"We have established here at the State Department a Zika coordination team and a broader working group to ensure a robust and coordinated department response," Kirby stated on Friday.
Kirby added that the State Department is in close contact with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is working directly with the government of Brazil, which has been most impacted by the Zika virus.
Although symptoms are mild and pose little threat to the general population, babies born to infected women often suffer from impaired brain development that creates smaller-than-normal head size. The condition, known as microcephaly, has been reported in nearly 5,000 infants in Brazil.
The virus is spread by the Aedes mosquito, which originated in Africa, but has moved from continent to continent by ships, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
The CDC describes the Aedes mosquito as aggressive, attacking at all hours, and one that can bite five or more people in a single feeding, leaving only a tiny sting that victims barely notice.
