Zika virus risk to British public 'extremely low'

The World Health Organisation has declared an international emergency over the virus, which is linked to birth defects in Brazil and the Americas.

Shadow international development secretary Diane Abbott has called on the Government to back research into the outbreak as she stressed the fact that the Olympics will take place in Rio de Janeiro later this year.

Responding to an urgent question in the House of Commons, International Development Minister Nick Hurd stressed that while the risk to the UK posed by Zika is small, the Government is going to review its approach.

He said: "The first thing to say is that the risk to the UK population from Zika remains extremely low.

"We have already taken a number of steps to ensure the UK public are protected but of course we are not complacent and we will review our approach in light of the WHO's decision, both in terms of actions to mitigate the risk to the UK and considering what additional support the UK could offer to the countries and the regions affected."

The WHO convened an emergency meeting of independent experts in Geneva to assess the outbreak after noting a link between Zika's arrival in Brazil last year and a surge in the number of babies born with abnormally small heads - a rare birth defect called microcephaly.

The organisation has estimated there could be up to four million cases of Zika in the Americas in the next year.

Mr Hurd told the House the UK has been leading on efforts to make sure the WHO has the funding it needs to respond to "emerging disease threats".

But Ms Abbott said Mr Hurd "will be aware that money alone is not the issue".

She said: "The minister will also be aware that the Olympics is in less than 200 days and more than a million tourists are expected to descend on Rio.

"Does the minister agree that research is a high priority?

"We urgently need proof of a causative link between the Zika infection and microcephaly and then to know how the virus damages the brain of the growing foetus.

"These developing countries will need support if those women with thousands of deformed babies are going to be able to take their family life forward."

Ms Abbott also said that work on delivering a Zika vaccine is "essential".

Mr Hurd replied: "I entirely agree with you that research is very important here.

"This is a disease that we perhaps don't know enough about, particularly in relation to the links to microcephaly and other consequences that you alluded to."

Mr Hurd said the UK "stands ready to play a full part in upgrading our knowledge" of the Zika virus.

Mr Hurd said the Government had recently announced a £400,000 Newton Fund Zika research project involving Glasgow University, while scientists from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine had arrived in the Zika hotspot of Recife in Brazil last week.

Tory Philip Hollobone (Kettering) asked if the risk to human health from the Zika virus was as prevalent as that from Ebola.

Mr Hurd: "We're talking about a very different disease, that is not in any way to under state our concern and the concern of the international community about the spread of the virus."

He added: "I hope that he can also take some reassurance by the relative speed that the WHO has shown in declaring an emergency and what that triggers in terms of an international response, which to my mind looks very vigorous and on it."

SNP Patrick Grady (Glasgow North) welcomed the university research funding announcement.

He spoke about the role of local and faith leaders in spreading public health information and good practice.

Mr Hurd described Brazil's response as "impressive", adding: "They appear to be very well supported, not least by the Americans and we've made it very clear to them that we're here to help in any way on the ground."

Conservative Dr Tania Mathias (Twickenham) asked how the Government was scrutinising and supporting the WHO leadership, which she said was severely criticised during the Ebola crisis while the UK response was greatly praised.

Mr Hurd said concerns had been expressed about the capacity and pace of the WHO in relation to the Ebola situation.

The UK, he added, was "very far from complacent" about the need for reform and monitoring reform.

He said: "We are in very regular dialogue with them to ensure that their systems are as agile and responsive as they can be."

Labour's Mary Creagh (Wakefield) said the world's community was engaged in a "race against time against this horrible virus".

Ms Creagh compared the research sum announced with that of the Chancellor's announcement last week on funding to fight malaria, adding: "So the £400,000 that he's announced for Glasgow pales into insignificance."

She called on the Prime Minister and Chancellor to look at all resources to tackle the outbreak, which she said currently had no test, no cure and no vaccine, to "save a generation of women and their children from disability and poverty".

The UK vaccine network, Mr Hurd said, "make it clear that we stand ready to play a very leading role in terms of the development of any vaccination that may be needed".

Tory Chloe Smith (Norwich North) asked what assessment the Government had made of the threat in other parts of the world and any precautions British travellers ought to make if travelling to areas with mosquitoes such as Africa or Asia.

Mr Hurd said people could access the Foreign Office travel advice for countries and territories where there was an ongoing outbreak of the virus and advice was also issued by the National Travel Health Network and Centre.

Labour's Diana Johnson (Kingston upon Hull North) asked if there were any plans to screen passengers travelling from areas affected when they came into the UK.

Mr Hurd said: "The public health risk in the UK, as I've tried to emphasise, is extremely low but given the concerns, we're not remotely complacent at all. So colleagues across Government and I said this is being led at the highest level, are having an active and live conversation about all the measures that we can take, particularly in response to the recommendations by the WHO."

The Lords heard calls for all pregnant women returning from countries impacted by the virus to be offered testing when the statement was repeated in the upper house.

Lib Dem peer Baroness Walmsley also raised the issue of banning people who had visited affected areas from giving blood.

"There is a test which is about to be available all over Brazil, and it is effective as long as it is given within five days of the infection, so will the Government ensure that the test is available for any pregnant woman who is returning from one of the 24 affected countries?

"And is the UK planning to follow the US by banning anyone who has travelled to one of the effected countries from donating blood until it can be determined that they are not carrying the virus?" Lady Walmsley asked.

International Development Minister Baroness Verma said she would have to check the policy on blood donation, but stressed there was a very low risk of virus travelling to Britain.

"On the issue of testing pregnant ladies when they come back, if anyone has a concern whether they are travelling to, or from, the best advice is to go and see your doctor.

"The actual virus doesn't travel, it doesn't travel well, because the climate in the UK is not consistent with the virus travelling. The risks here in the UK are low, but my advice would be that if there are concerns to go and see your GP," the minister said.