“We
are going to come very shortly with an integrated cleanup programme,
(including) drain cleaning, but the citizens of the country must also take responsibility
for their health, even as Government must lead the process”
Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, in an interview with JIS
News about the implementation of a Vector Control Program to prepare for the
coming of the Zika Virus
As
many of my readers of my blog My Thoughts on
Technology and Jamaica and MICO
Wars may know, I am no longer in Kingston. Rather, I’m back in the
community of Milk River, located on the South Coast of Clarendon, worried about
the coming Summer 2015.
The
Minister of Health has finally announced on Tuesday May 26th, 2015 during
an interview with the Jamaica Information Service Magazine that the MOH
(Ministry of Health) planned to launch an Aedes
Aegypti Mosquito Vector Control Programme to prevent the possible spread of
the Zika Virus as reported in the article “Gov’t
to Roll Out Vector Control Programme to Prevent Zika Virus”, published May 26,
2015 by Garfield L. Angus, the Jamaica Information
Service.
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Minister
of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson also made mention of coming Technical
assistance from PAHO (Pan American Health Organization) with
their Aedes Aegypti Mosquito Vector
Control Programme.
A
few days later on Friday May 29th 2015 more than one hundred (100)
Senior Staff members of the Ministry of Health attended a National Workshop on
Preparedness and Response to Zika Virus Infection held on Friday May 29th
2015 at the Knutsford Court Hotel to focus on the Zika Virus as reported in the
article “Health
Ministry embarks on vector control training programme”, published Saturday,
May 30, 2015, the Jamaica Observer.
More
reasons for the KSAC (Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation) and the NWC
(National Water Commission) to build a new waste-water pump station on Darling
Street as explained in my blog article
entitled “KSAC
and NWC and the Raw Sewage problem in Downtown Kingston – How to restore order
by making Downtown safe for Vendors and Shoppers” as the Sewage Water
Downtown is a prime breeding area for the Aedes
Aegypti Mosquito.
This
is a good sign, as PAHO has helped Jamaica and other Caribbean countries in the
past implement their Dengue Vector Control Programmes, to quote Minister of
Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson: “I had
the commitment of getting additional support with our vector control programme,
and more so, the integrated programme, for the control of mosquitoes”.
Profile of a Virus -
ZIKV not yet Detected in the Caribbean but be vigilant for Brazilians
The
Zika Virus has not yet been detected in the Caribbean based on reports by the
Ministry of Health in Barbados as reported in the article “No
zika virus cases in the Caribbean to date, says Barbados health ministry”,
Published on May 23, 2015, the
Caribbean News Now.
But
now would also be a good time for member countries of CARICOM and their
Respective MOH's to collaborate and put in place screening measures to detect
persons with the Zika Virus at all our ports of entry into the Caribbean.
Like
the Chikungunya Virus, it seems we are ill-prepared to face this threat and
prevent persons from becoming crippled
and bed-ridden as predicted in my blog article
entitled “Zika
Virus is coming to Jamaica – Zero MOH Preparedness for Chikungunya Part II but
Mosquito Repellant and Vitamin C works”.
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The
Zika Virus, also called ZIKV, has its origins in Brazil, so the public needs to
be on the lookout for Portuguese speaking South Americans showing Symptoms of
the Disease. The symptoms manifest within twelve (12) days after being bitten
by an infected Aedes Aegypti Mosquito
and are worth repeating in case you were hiding under a rock:
1. Conjunctivitis
2. Diarrhoea
3. Eye
Pain
4. Headaches
5. Joint and muscle pains
6. Rashes
7. Severe fever
The
symptoms will last for four (4) weeks after initial symptoms begin to show. As
the Zika Virus is from the same family as the Dengue Fever as well as the
Chikungunya Virus, their is no Vaccine to prevent the onset of symptoms after
being infected with the Zika Virus.
 |
The same precautions relating to the use of Insect Repellant would apply as explained in my blog article entitled “21 Jamaicans now infected with Chikungunya Virus - DEET and Citronella are Trending Back-to-School Perfumes on the Playground”.
MOH Vector Control
Programme - Be Prepared as only you can stop the Spread of the Zika Virus
So
the announcement that the MOH is finally starting a Vector Control Program is
welcome news, as this time around, they are being proactive instead of being
reactive. We as Jamaicans can do our part by implementing your own Aedes Aegypti Vector control Programme
in your own back yard:
1.
Destroy Mosquito Breeding Sites e.g. filling
tyres with dirt and emptying containers of Water
2.
Storing Drinking water in covered
containers or using a Water Tank
3.
Punch Holes in Tins before disposing o
them
4.
Changing Water in Plant Vases to prevent
Mosquitoes from breeding
5.
Spray motor oil on Ponds so as to kill
mosquito larvae
Finally,
we have to make sure our bodies are prepared to fight off any infections.
Eating a consistent diet of Fruits and green crunch, leafy vegetables that can
be purchased in Downtown Kingston where I shop.
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Also,
stocking up on DEET and Citronella based Mosquito repellant is an excellent
line of defense, especially for toddlers and young children who are more likely
to be bitten by the Aedes Aegypti Mosquito.
We
would also stock up on Vitamin C as it can protect you from the more severe symptoms
as explained in my blog article
entitled “Vitamin
C and the Chikungunya Virus - How to increase your Vitamin C Intake,
Glutathione and Interferon by White Blood Cells”.
Ultimately,
the MOH can only do so much with a limited health budget and a creaking Health
sector as described in my blog article
entitled “JMDA
laments bad conditions in Public Hospitals - How MOH Audit will reveal Doctors
and Pharmacists stealing Supplies for Private Practice”; reducing the potential
impact of the Zika Virus is a matter of being prepared!
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