Brussels, 13/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - European Union should adopt an action plan on the Zika virus, the MEPs argue in a non-legislative resolution adopted on Wednesday 13 April following an oral question to the European Commission in March (see EUROPE 11509).
The Zika virus, which is transmitted through mosquito bites (of the Aedes aegypti variety), is suspected of causing deformities in the foetuses carried by pregnant women infected and of causing Guillain-Barré Syndrome. It was described by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a “public health emergency on a global scale” on 1 February 2016.
The resolution, which was prepared by the parliamentary committee on the environment and public health, calls for greater coordination within the EU to tackle this virus. For instance, it recommends that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) set up a committee of experts on transmissible tropical diseases, to effectively coordinate and oversee all measures required within the EU. It also calls upon the Commission to present an action plan “with adequate objectives for the free distribution of mechanical barriers, such as nets to protect people from mosquito bites and condoms to prevent sexual transmission”.
Regarding the research plan, the MEPs welcome the initiatives taken by the Commission thus far. “The European Parliament welcomes the Commission's decision to make €10 million available for research into the Zika virus and recommends that serious cases of congenital cerebral deformities in South America and their suspected link to infection with the Zika virus be examined as a priority” it states, going on to discuss the relevance of these resources. It feels that research into the Zika virus should be based on three planks: (1) examination of the strongly suspected link between the virus and congenital cerebral deformities, (2) the development of treatments and vaccines and (3) the development of tests for rapid and accurate diagnosis. The MEPs call upon the Commission and the member states to coordinate the work of the laboratories carrying out research and to promote the creation of laboratories of this kind in member states which do not have any. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)