WHO announces end of Zika Virus public health emergency

The Zika virus is no longer termed as a global public health emergency, the World Health Organization (WHO) claimed on the day of November 18.
The Zika virus was rather reclassified as a "long-term epidemic," in contrast to other mosquito-borne diseases like yellow fever and malaria. WHO emphasized that the disease yet remains a public challenge and needs a long-term focus to deal its impacts: birth defects, neurological complications and others.
The virus, which has been discovered in sixty different countries, will continue to spread in locales with mosquitoes that carry the virus, officials stated.
"Several aspects of this disease and associated consequences yet remain to be understood, but this can best be done through sustained research," WHO stated in a statement. "The emergency committee suggested this should be escalated into a sustained program of work with dedicated resources to deal the long-term nature of the disease and its associated consequences."
WHO announced the virus a global emergency in the month of February, compelling countries to report any outbreaks. In a press call Friday, David Heymann, MD chair of the Zika Emergency Committee stated that the emergency status was designed to contain Zika's spread and to encourage research funding.