Here are six key points:
1. During the meeting, WHO will decide whether to classify the Zika outbreak as an international health emergency.
2. As of now, 23 countries have experienced local spread of the Zika virus.
3. WHO predicts the Zika virus will spread to all countries in the Americas, expect Chile and Canada due to a lack of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
4. The organization reported Americans who aren’t traveling should not be alarmed, as the virus spreads via infected people and the specific mosquito.
5. Although not confirmed, mounting evidence exists that the Zika virus causes the birth defect, microcephaly. This birth defect leaves babies with underdeveloped brains.
6. WHO cautioned that the rising number of cases of microcephaly in Brazil does not necessarily confirm a direct connection to the Zika virus. Other countries with cases of the Zika virus have not witnessed stark increases in microcephaly cases.
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