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With birth defects blamed on the virus now deemed a matter of international concern, researchers must work fast to assess the extent of the threat.
The World Health Organization this week declared that clusters of birth defects suspected of being linked to an epidemic of Zika virus in the Americas constituted a "public health emergency of international concern". Beyond the practical imperative to better control the mosquitoes that spread Zika and other diseases, the most urgent priority on the ground is research to answer basic, but crucial, questions, including whether the birth defects are caused by the virus, and if so, how frequently.
Alarm among media and politicians that the Zika virus is poised to cause a pandemic of birth defects has reached fever pitch - with some headlines even screaming that it could be worse than Ebola in West Africa. But, as in the early stages of any epidemic of a new or re-emerging virus, there are challenges in dealing with the uncertainties that inevitably arise from huge gaps in our knowledge.
A calm and cautious approach to assessing the threat is advisable, and so is avoiding unhelpful hype and hysteria, or jumping to premature conclusions. Health authorities must, of course, not wait until all the facts are in before taking action, and are right to recommend, out of an abundance of caution, measured precautions to protect pregnant women and their fetuses in the face of a perceived potential threat.
The Zika virus is transmitted mainly by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which...