The risk of virus Zika attacks Asia

Health experts warn, factors such as slums, mosquitoes are rampant and the history of disease spreads makes Asia more susceptible to Zika virus.

Asia is no stranger to epidemics. In 2003, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) claimed hundreds of lives, mainly in China and Hong Kong, spreading fear across the continent. Now, Asia is likely to face a new crisis called Zika.

On February 2, Thailand confirmed a case of Zika virus infection. Indonesia also announced a domestic patient. These two cases came at the same time that US health officials found a Texas man infected with a sexually transmitted virus, raising concerns that Zika would spread quickly.

Zika virus currently has no vaccine or cure.(Photo: Reuters).

According to AFP, the Indian government is worried that the country will be the next place to be attacked by Zika by a large number of crowded, poor sanitation areas."India is easy to break out of Zika because mosquitoes have a favorable habitat , " said Om Shrivastav, an infectious disease expert from Mumbai. "Asian countries with high populations will certainly face challenges in controlling viruses."

20 million people in Mumbai (India) must live in cramped, dirty and poorly ventilated slums. The 4-month-long rains caused the city to flood, enabling mosquitoes to grow and then lead to tropical diseases.

Zika was first discovered in Uganda in 1947, causing symptoms like mild flu and rash. The World Health Organization (WHO) believes that this virus is associated with small head disease in newborns. Latin American countries, especially Brazil, have seen a surge in small-head cases since Zika broke out last year. On 1/2, WHO declared a global emergency on Zika and established a unit to respond to the virus.

A baby has a small head problem.(Photo: Reuters).

Anthony Costello, WHO expert, said that translating Zika will not stop in Latin America."We all know mosquitoes carrying viruses are present in most of Africa, parts of Southern Europe and parts of Asia, especially South Asia ," he said. Previously, Zika appeared in Cambodia in 2010 and the Philippines in 2012.

Scientist Malik Peiris from Hong Kong University recommends Zika is likely to be mistaken for dengue fever or other mosquito-borne diseases. Governments should carefully monitor to avoid unspecified viruses until alarmingly spread.

The director of the Indian Council for Health Research, Soumya Swaminathan, warns of an unpredictable global dengue fever that may facilitate Zika's outbreak but reassure people not to panic. Eloi Yao, a WHO spokesperson in Manili, has the same opinion when he believes that the risk of Zika raging in Asia despite being there is still low."Right now, we don't want to increase the level of anxiety , " he said.