Zika scare activates Philippines to propose women to postpone pregnancy

A minister inside the Philippines has urged women to put off being pregnant till greater is thought about the mosquito-borne Zika virus raging in Latin the united states, despite the fact that the Asian united states of america's handiest mentioned case of zika became 4 years in the past.

tons remains unknown about Zika, but the virus has been connected to hundreds of cases of delivery defects in Latin america, and the sector health enterprise has declared an international public health emergency.

"To individuals who aren't in a rush to get pregnant, perhaps they could postpone and wait next yr whilst we understand more approximately the virus," health Minister Janet Garin stated in a radio interview on Sunday, suggesting they practice own family making plans techniques.

Garin said she turned into additionally asking Filipinos to avoid Zika-affected countries due to the fact "travelers, who gotten smaller the disorder overseas, may also then transmit the virus sexually to their companions".

The scare over Zika has been heightened via warnings from the Pan American fitness agency that during some cases the virus might have been sexually transmitted.

The Philippines, sole said case of Zika was in 2012 and worried a teenage boy in Cebu island in valuable Philippines.

"while we do now not have any pronounced cases as of now here inside the Philippines, we know that the chance is there," Lyndon Lee-Suy, spokesman for the health ministry, instructed Reuters on Monday. "Even the husbands have to be aware about the dangers of being pregnant."

there is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, which causes moderate fever, rash and pink eyes. An predicted 80 percent of humans inflamed don't have any signs.

On Monday, an outspoken Roman Catholic bishop accused the health minister of the use of the scare over Zika to indicate human beings exercise family planning.

"it is beyond her competence to mention that," Archbishop Oscar Cruz said. "Is it in her task description to say while girls might also get pregnant or not? Is it?"

The government is in search of to put into effect a controversial reproductive fitness regulation and the state is promoting the usage of contraceptives.