I like the way they are spraying for mosquitoes on the planes.  Chine does quarantines on infected.  And the U.S., well, absolutely nothing as it appears.   At least the CDC is rolling out a welcome mat yet I suppose.  They're really doing nothing to prevent it and seem to be more concerned with Brazil.  

BREAKING NEWS: Zika virus confirmed in the UK: Four cases of pandemic that affects pregnant women found in the last six weeks, health watchdog reveals

• Four cases of the Zika virus have been confirmed in UK in last six weeks
• Public Health England: Virus not believed to have been contracted in UK
• Cases of the pandemic, which affects pregnant women, 'travel associated'
• Health officials 'expect to see more cases' of travel associated infections
• See the latest Zika Virus updates at www.dailymail.co.uk/zikavir

Four cases of the Zika virus have been confirmed in Britain, health officials revealed today. 

Public Health England said the pandemic – feared to cause abnormally small skulls and brain damage in babies – was identified in the last six weeks in those infected.

A committee of MPs in Westminster were told that the four cases were 'travel associated' and not believed to have been contracted in the UK.

Pandemic: Heath officials revealed today that four cases of the Zika virus have been confirmed in Britain. They are linked to the current outbreak which has swept through South America, including in Brazil (pictured)


Precaution: Flights to the UK from countries hit by the Zika virus will be sprayed with insecticides to stop the virus spreading. Pictured is a plane in Thailand being sprayed in June 2015 to stop the spread of MERS

Speaking to the Science and Technology Committee, Public Health England's Dr Dilys Morgan said that there had been seven travel associated cases documented in the UK in the past three years.

Six of the cases are linked to the current outbreak in South America, including four since the start of the year. She also said that officials 'expected to see more cases' of travel associated infections.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Dr Morgan said: 'We have had seven cases, six associated with the current outbreak in South America, in the past three years.

'We have four of those in 2016 so we are seeing cases coming back. We have raised awareness so people are more aware of the infections.

'We are likely to see more cases.'

It comes just over a week after the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak, which has swept through South and Central America since last summer, an international public health emergency over fears the virus has triggered a surge in cases of the birth defect microcephaly. 

The UK government also announced last Thursday that aircraft flying into the UK from countries hit by the Zika virus would be sprayed with insecticides to stop the virus spreading.

To combat mosquitos that might have entered aircraft travelling to Europe in the cabins, insecticide will be sprayed to kill them off.

Meanwhile, when asked what advice GPs are giving to patients who have travelled to affected countries, Dr Morgan told MPs today: 'We are dealing with these cases all the time.

'It very much depends on where the woman has been, what the woman has done, has she gone to an area of high transmission where there have been lots of cases reported? I think there is a gradation of the risk which we can give.

'I don’t feel we should be worrying these women too much when not every foetus will be affected, we don’t know what the proportion is but we know it is probably low looking at the numbers so I think there are various reassurances we can give, but what we shouldn’t do is give reassurances about the evidence.'

When asked if there was anything going on to track the number of people that are presenting to their GPs with worries about Zika, she added: 'There are various surveillance schemes that are ongoing.

'We are tracking the women who ring in to Public Health England, because that is all centrally logged, with their worries.'

She added: 'What we are doing is explaining what we do know and how best people can be protected, reassuring them that there is no risk to the UK population.

'It is a risk to travellers, of those travellers your risk of acquiring Zika depends on where you are travelling - you are likely to get a very mild illness if you notice anything at all but if you are pregnant then you may be at risk of an abnormal foetus which is obviously devastating.

'We have been trying to communicate those risks and we have been working with the medical profession so that when women do go and want to discuss it with their healthcare providers then they are in a better position of how to advise them.' 

The hearing on the virus comes as the UK medicines watchdog has pledged its support to counter the outbreak.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), as a member of the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities - which brings together 21 medicine regulators from across the world, has said it will work to fight against the virus.

An MHRA spokesman said that priorities are to support the rapid development of diagnostic tests as well as vaccines and treatments against Zika. 

The Zika virus is carried by two types of mosquito. In the majority of cases, around 80 per cent, people infected show no symptoms.

In the remaining 20 per cent of a cases sufferers will typically experience fever, rash, joint and muscle pain, red eyes and headache, which can last from several days to a week.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3440463/Zika-virus-confirmed-UK-Four-cases-pandemic-affects-pregnant-women-six-weeks-health-watchdog-reveals.html