The Ministries of Health in the region are warning persons to take necessary precautions in light of the mosquito-borne Zika virus outbreak in Brazil, that could spread to the islands. The warning comes after meetings at the World Health Assembly now taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, and subsequent to a warning issued by the Pan American Health Organization, the ministry said in a release Tuesday.
The Zika virus is from the same family as and is similar to dengue with symptoms which include fever, joint and muscle pain, conjunctivitis, headache, weakness, rash, and swelling of the lower limbs. After the bite of an infected mosquito, symptoms usually appear following the incubation period of three to 12 days. The symptoms last for four to seven days. No deaths due to the Zika virus have been recorded worldwide to date.
The Zika virus is transmitted by the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito – the same mosquito that transmits chikungunya and dengue. Brazil confirmed its first cases of the Zika virus in May this year. “The Ministry of Health is taking this potential threat very seriously. I urge Jamaicans to do their part to prevent mosquito breeding and so help to reduce any possibility of the introduction of the Zika virus into the island. There is no specific vaccine or treatment for the virus and so personal responsibility is key,” he said.