APhA responds to Zika virus outbreak

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) has responded to the outbreak of the Zika virus in the Americas by providing a page for information on the virus on its website.

Pharmacists will be able to view the information on the APhA website to learn about Zika and discover ways to prevent the virus. A session on the Zika virus, which has been labeled as a worldwide emergency by the World Health Organization, has also been added to the 2016 APhA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Baltimore March 4-7. The session will be called the "Zika Outbreak: What Pharmacists Need to Know" and is a collaboration between the APhA and the Society for Infectious Diseases Pharmacists.

The Zika virus is transmitted by mosquitos and usually does not cause any kind of symptoms or illness. It is contagious and associated with microcephaly in infants when mothers contract the virus during pregnancy. In January, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered a health advisory for the Zika virus and issued a travel alert, advising pregnant women to avoid countries where the virus has been reported. This includes South and Central America. The Zika virus is expected to spread to North America in 2016.