Staff Writer – Latoya Wakefield
Caribbean news. Another mosquito-borne disease is at our doorstep; some people are not keen to go outside unless they’re fully-clothed and covered in mosquito-repellent. With Chik V still fresh in our memories, we are just not up to another fit of what those small suckers might bring to Jamaica especially since it is reported to carry symptoms WORSE than Chik V. Just the thought of that makes me joints hurt.
This one holds the catchy name Zika and we’re just hoping that the fact that it begins with Z has no allusion whatsoever. On the bright side, the government of Jamaica seems to be proactive and not playing this one down. Ads about protecting yourself and environment from the invasion of mosquitoes have started to air on the radio. People seem to be taking the lessons that Chik V taught us and putting them into practice though we are keeping our fingers crossed that somehow it will not cross our borders.
So what really is Zika? According to gleaner-jamaica.com in their article titled New Mosquito-Borne Virus ZIKV Threatens Jamaica, Authorities Urge Precaution published on May 19th, The Zika virus is from the same family as the dengue and chikungunya viruses and share similar symptoms which include fever, joint and muscle pain, conjunctivitis, headache, weakness, rash and swelling of the lower limbs.
Symptoms usually appear three to 12 days after an infected mosquito bites a person and can last for four to seven days.
The government is definitely not taking this threat as a joke and have started to prepare for if it should come here. According to Jamaicaobserver.com,
Permanent Secretary Dr Kevin Harvey says the Ministry of Health will continue to take a proactive approach and is enhancing its preparedness for any possible introduction of the Zika virus into Jamaica.
Dr Harvey, in a statement recently, said that the ministry is closely following a reported case of Zika virus in the Dominican Republic, which the Pan American Health Organisation has indicated has not yet been laboratory confirmed.
Photo courtesy medicalservices.nph.org
“We have alerted our regions and parishes to continue to work closely with local government through the parish councils to ensure an integrated approach to controlling the mosquito population which is on the increase subsequent to the recent rains and the current weather patterns being experienced,” Dr Harvey said.
There is no medicine or vaccine available that prevents Zika virus infection and no known cure or therapy. Though it is not down to the government alone, citizens need to participate in destroying/decreasing the breeding sites as well as protecting themselves from Zika virus.
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