Biosecurity

Zika Count Rises to 215 in Singapore

Singapore reported another big batch of Zika virus cases Sunday, bringing its total count in just a week to 215, and World Health Organization officials said the spread of the virus definitely still constitutes a global health emergency.

Zika's apparent quick spread out of Latin America and in Asia and Africa has WHO officials worried. They have no idea if the virus will spread as explosively as it has in the Americas, and they cannot predict if it will cause a fresh wave of birth defects and side-effects such as the paralyzing Guillain-Barré syndrome.They don't even know if they can keep track of it if it spreads into countries with poor healthcare systems and little facility to test people for the virus.

"There's still an urgent need to continue global research and this still does remain an emergency of international concern," said Dr. David Heymann, chairman of WHO's emergency committee.