"The Zika virus remains a highly significant and long term problem, but it is not any more a public health emergency of international concern," the world health body's emergency committee chair Dr David Heymann said. The UN's global health agency declared the Zika epidemic a global health emergency in February 2016. The WHO believes the "Zika virus and associated consequences remain a significant enduring public health challenge requiring intense action but no longer represent" a global health emergency, it said in a statement. "Florida maintains an active public health emergency declaration in 38 counties," said the state's department of health spokeswoman Mara Gambineri. The Zika outbreak sparked fears of infection amongst travellers and athletes taking part in this summer's Olympic Games in Brazil.

Source: The Nation Bangkok November 19, 2016 00:50 UTC