From JJR News

The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) is taking steps to bolster the regional capacity to respond to severe neurological complications related to Zika virus, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).

A two-day workshop, which began on Thursday in Bridgetown, Barbados, is geared at training Caribbean health personnel to be better able to detect and treat patients with GBS.

Since June this year, the number of GBS cases has increased in the Caribbean.

Guillain-Barré syndrome is a rare condition in which the patient’s immune system attacks the peripheral nerves.

New WHO guidelines for clinical management of patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome will be outlined in the meeting, focusing on practical approaches to implementation in different countries.

Zika in Africa, Asia

In the meantime, scientists say more than two billion people could be at risk from Zika virus outbreaks in parts of Africa and Asia.

The scientists, writing in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, warned that populations in India, Indonesia and Nigeria are some of the most vulnerable to transmission.

They used data on air traveller numbers to help model their predictions.

However, they acknowledge that immunity to the virus could already exist in some areas and could reduce the risk.

The research team said vast numbers of people were living in environments where it would be hard to prevent, detect and respond to the virus.

They looked at factors such as the numbers of people who travelled from Zika-affected areas in South America to Africa and Asia, the presence of mosquitoes that can pass on the virus, and the climate in the regions.

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