The Indian carmaker Tata Motors has been forced to consider changing the name of its heavily promoted new car, the Zica, as global alarm mounts about the Zika virus.



The company said it was reviewing the name, short for “zippy car”, which now has unavoidable associations with a virus linked to serious birth defects and neurological problems.

The possible rebranding comes just weeks after Tata launched a big marketing campaign for the car, including adverts featuring footage of the footballer Lionel Messi.



Tata’s advert for its Zica shows the new model intercut with footage of the footballer Lionel Messi

The timing couldn’t be worse as the World Health Organisation meets to decide whether it should declare Zika a global health emergency. The mosquito-borne virus has been linked to thousands of cases of microcephaly, a birth defect resulting in abnormally small heads, in Brazil.

In an email to the Guardian, Tata’s head of corporate communications, Minari Shah, said: “The decision to name our car happened many months back when we could not have foreseen any of the recent events. In view of the recent developments, we are now evaluating the situation. We do not currently have a timeframe about when we will announce the decision.”

Tata’s marketing material for the Zica offers drivers the chance to “leave all worries miles behind without her/him even knowing it”. The car is due to go on show at this week’s Auto Expo in New Delhi.

Last week the WHO said the Zika virus was spreading at an explosive rate and was present in more than 20 counties. It estimated that up to 4 million people across the Americas would be infected with the virus in the next year.

The WHO is concerned that it will spread beyond the Americas. India, where the closely related dengue fever is a common problem, is particularly susceptible to mosquito-borne viruses.