Geneva, January 28 (RHC)-- The head of World Health Organization (WHO) has voiced alarm over the Zika outbreak around the Americans, saying the virus is “spreading explosively.”

Speaking at a meeting of WHO member states on Thursday in the Swiss city of Geneva, Director General Margaret Chan said that the UN health agency is deeply concerned over the situation as the level of alarm over the virus has become “extremely high.” She said the mosquito-borne virus has gone from a “mild threat” to “alarming proportions."

The WHO chief also called for an emergency meeting on the virus, which is taking hold across South and Central America and the Caribbean, on Monday to determine if the outbreak should be declared an international health emergency.

Meanwhile, WHO Assistant Director Bruce Aylward has emphasized the importance of coordination among the member state to to prevent viruses from spreading.