The mosquito-borne Zika virus has infected hundreds of thousands of people, seemingly causes brain damage in babies and has spread to Europe, Australia and the United States.

Trials for a vaccine are at least 18 months away, and dozens of Central and South American countries are struggling to contain a disease that appears to leave unborn babies with under-developed brains through a condition called microcephaly.

And the worst may be yet to come.

"Zika is likely to infect millions of people," Israeli public health expert Dr Hagai Levine said. "But the story is bigger than this.

"If we only focus on medical-specific solutions and solving the problem like extinguishing a fire, then we will face another challenge soon, and we'll have to go and do it all over again."

The doctor, who is head of environment and health studies at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Centre School of Public Health, explained: "Viruses and health have no borders any more.

"Because of the changing behaviour of mosquitoes, climate change and globalisation, we could see more outbreaks in the coming years of other viruses like Zika."

The World Health Organisation estimates climate change will cause around five million additional deaths between 2030 and 2050, while increasing globalisation makes it easier for the virus to move around.

"We are one world; we live in one world," Dr Levine said, adding that "if we have an outbreak in one area there is a high chance it will spread to other areas."

Dr Levine said his global perspective was a typically Israeli trait, explaining that though the Jewish state was well-protected from Zika, "we have a tradition in Israel to contribute and help countries in need - like with Haiti and Japan in the last few years - and we are also doing that in this case."

It was in everyone's interest for countries to act in this way, he said. "It's not just a moral obligation; for our benefit it's important we pay attention to people and animals in other countries. We need co-operation between and in countries."

Authorities needed to "improve the communication between countries and disciplines, so we can make a better, safer world," he said.

The doctor pointed to the suggested use of the banned pesticide DDT to kill Zika-carrying mosquitoes as an example of potentially destructive short-term thinking.

DDT was discontinued in the UK in the 1980s and banned worldwide in 2001. A study in 2014 found that people with high levels of the pesticide in their system were nearly four times more likely to develop Alzheimer's.

Dr Levine said: "We must act, but we must act in a way that will improve public health all over the world in the long run. Decisions need to be made, as much as is possible, for the benefit of everyone. This is a magnificent period of showing what humans can do in the 21st century, and if we put our minds together, we can find better solutions."