18th April 2016
Advice
A disease linked to the Zika virus in the Americas and other countries presents a global public health emergency. Pregnant women in particular are advised not to travel to areas where there are current outbreaks of the virus.
Intrinsic are directing customers planning a trip to the Americas or other affected locations to our pre-travel risk management services. We are also communicating important advice about the virus from the World Health Organisation and Foreign Office.
In the meantime, our multilingual teams of assistance, medical and travel experts are ready and waiting to help individuals adversely affected by the virus – drawing on our 40 years’ experience and trusted network of partners all over the Americas and beyond.
For the most recent updates we recommend you refer to the following websites:
World Health Organisation information http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/zika/en
Public Health England http://www.gov.uk/guidance/zika-virus
Zika virus facts:
Symptoms:
Reducing risk:
Diagnosis and treatment:
History of the virus
The virus was isolated for the first time in 1947, in the Zika forest in Uganda. Since then, it has remained mainly in Africa, with small and sporadic outbreaks in Asia. In 2007, a major epidemic was reported on the island of Yap (Micronesia), where nearly 75% of the population was infected.
On 3 March 2014, Chile confirmed a case of indigenous transmission of the Zika virus on Easter Island, where it continued to be detected until June 2014.
In May 2015, the public health authorities of Brazil confirmed the transmission of the virus in the northeast of the country. Since October 2015, other countries and territories of the Americas have reported the presence of the virus