All UK bound flights from Zika infected areas to be sprayed with insecticides

Aircraft flying into the UK from countries hit by the Zika virus will be sprayed with insecticides to stop the virus spreading, the government said yesterday. The virus, feared to cause abnormally small skulls and brain damage in babies, is carried by mosquitoes. Yesterday the first case in Europe of a pregnant woman being diagnosed with the virus was reported in Spain. To combat mosquitoes that might have entered aircraft travelling to Europe in the cabins, insecticide will be sprayed to kill them off. Planes arriving in the UK from all countries where cases of Zika have been confirmed in South America and the Caribbean will be sprayed as a precautionary measure.
Florida, a major tourist destination for Britons, declared a health emergency over the virus after nine cases were detected there. The Department for Health said the precautions – known as ‘disinfection’ - already occur on many flights from the region as a precaution against mosquito-borne malaria. The WHO warned this week that Europe could be hit by the disease as mosquitoes capable of carrying the disease are found in much of southern Europe – raising fears of the bug hitting holidaymakers in the Med. But the DfH said the virus is ‘extremely unlikely to be able to survive and breed here given the lower temperatures in the UK’.
‘Pregnant women should consider avoiding travel to countries with the Zika virus - or if travel is unavoidable, they ought to seek travel health advice from their GP or a travel clinic well in advance of their trip.’
Disinsection involves spraying a quick-acting insecticide spray immediately before take-off with passengers on board. In addition, interior surfaces of the plane are treated with a residual insecticide spray, with the exception of food preparation areas.
The WHO advises it has found no evidence that insecticide sprays used in planes are harmful to human health when used as recommended, DailyMail reports.