Zika-linked Rise In Birth Defect Cases a Global Emergency: WHO

A rise in cases of babies born with abnormally small heads and its potential association with the Zika virus is grounds for a global health emergency, according to the World Health Organization Monday. With 25 countries reporting cases of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, the WHO action comes because of a cluster of microencephaly cases beginning in French Polynesia and then most recently in Brazil, and strong association with the virus, said Bruce Aylward, WHO executive director of outbreaks and emergencies, in a press conference. "The question is, is this spreading will it spread further?" Aylward said.