According to a new risk assessment published by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, this risk varies across the region but is higher in countries where Aedes mosquitoes are present, in particular locations such as Madeira.
“The new evidence tells us that there is a risk of spread of Zika virus disease in the European Region and that this risk varies from country to country,” says Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
“With this risk assessment, we at WHO want to inform and target preparedness work in each European country based on its level of risk. We call particularly on countries at higher risk to strengthen their national capacities and prioritise the activities that will prevent a large Zika outbreak.”
The WHO assessment found that the likelihood of local Zika virus transmission, if no measures are taken to mitigate the threat, is moderate in 18 countries in the European Region and high in limited geographical areas: the island of Madeira and the north-eastern coast of the Black Sea.
In addition to the above-identified areas, 18 countries in the European Region (in order of likelihood, highest to lowest: France, Italy, Malta, Croatia, Israel, Spain, Monaco, San Marino, Turkey, Greece, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, Georgia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro) have been named as having a moderate likelihood of local Zika virus transmission.
Dr Nedret Emiroglu, Director of the Communicable Diseases and Health Security Division said that the organisation is ready to support European countries on the ground in case of Zika virus outbreaks.
“Our support to countries to prepare for and respond to health risks such as Zika is a key aspect of the reform of WHO’s work in emergencies”, he explained.
WHO has in the meantime scaled up efforts to provide guidance on vector control in coordination with other sectors and also to facilitate the shipment of samples to WHO reference laboratories or deliver diagnostic tools for local testing, while advising on risk communication and community engagement.
WHO will convene a regional consultation in Portugal on 22–24 June 2016 to examine the conclusions of the risk assessment and identify countries’ needs, strengths and gaps in relation to preventing and responding to Zika virus disease.
Following the WHO report, Portugal’s National Health Board (DGS) revealed late Wednesday that it had to date verified 17 imported cases of the Zika virus in the country.
Despite the WHO’s findings, the DGS added “It is stressed that this situation does not raise the risk level as this disease is only transmitted, as a general rule, through mosquito species which are not identified on mainland Portugal.”