Low-to-moderate risk of Zika’s spread to Europe

GENEVA — The World Health Organization said Wednesday that there was a low-to-moderate risk of the mosquito-born Zika virus spreading to Europe in the spring and summer, as the group’s general director warned that researchers were increasingly concerned about the threat posed by the disease.

An assessment by the global health organization’s European office found that the likelihood of a breakout varied widely among countries, and it identified three areas that are most vulnerable: parts of Georgia and Russia on the Black Sea’s northeast coast and the Portuguese island of Madeira, all of which have populations of the Aedes aegypti mosquito mainly responsible for spreading the virus.

The disease can cause severe defects in babies and neurological disorders, and its rapid spread in Latin America, along with the WHO’s decision in February to declare it a public health emergency of international concern, prompted the risk assessment for Europe.