WASHINGTON D.C.: According to a new study many Asian countries such as Pakistan, India, China, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Bangladesh are expected to be at great risk of Zika outbreak.
These countries receive a combination of high travel volumes from Zika-affected areas, have mosquitoes capable of transmitting the virus, suitable climatic conditions, large populations and/or limited health resources, reveals the study published online in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.
Among these countries, India, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Pakistan and Bangladesh might be most vulnerable because of their limited per capita health resources. “An estimated 2.6 billion people live in areas where the local mosquito species and suitable climatic conditions mean that local Zika virus transmission is theoretically possible. However, there are still many unknown things about the virus and how it spreads. The impact on populations will also depend heavily on the country’s ability to diagnose and respond to a possible outbreak,” said author Dr Kamran Khan, St Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
In the study, the research team, which included scientists from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Oxford University (UK) and the University of Toronto (Canada) established the ecological niche for Zika virus in the Americas.
At the time of the analysis, local transmission of Zika virus had been confirmed in 40 countries in Central and South America and the Caribbean.
