12 Jamaicans infected with Zika Virus - Why Zika Virus is already Spreading in Jamaica due to Climate Change

Folks, looks like my worst fears have been realized; the Ministry of Health is covering up yet another possible outbreak of a disease, the Zika Virus, which the Aedes Aegypti Mosquito can also carry as pointed out 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”.

This time it is the Zika Virus, which has been detected in Jamaica by consultant congenital cardiologist Dr Sandra Williams-Phillips as reported in the article “Local doctor says Zika virus is here”, published Friday, October 23, 2015 by Alphea Saunders, The Jamaica Observer. 

 

Dr Sandra Williams-Phillips made the revelation on a local daytime radio program on Thursday, October 22^nd, 2015 in which she declared that she had treated twelve (12) persons with symptoms similar to the Zika Virus and she herself had also contracted the disease.

She had also alerted the Minister of Health Dr. Fenton Ferguson via email, but to no avail.

Meanwhile the Zika Virus has been detected in Colombia and Brazil, with nine confirmed cases in Colombia between 8 October and 16 October 2015 as reported in the article “Zika virus infection – Brazil and Colombia”, published 21 October 2015, WHO.

Albeit she has no laboratory testing gear to prove that her patients do indeed have the Zika Virus, the 34 year old doctor is quite adamant that she made the correct diagnosis. She also has history on her side, being one of the first to identify the Chikungunya Virus where it first came to Jamaica in 2014.

Most importantly, she isn’t doing it for the fame, as she’s endured quite a bit of personal sacrifice fighting the establishment at UHWI (University Hospital of the West Indies) and the BHC (Bustamante Hospital for Children) as chronicled in the article “Dr Sandra Williams-Phillips fought them and won”, published Sunday, March 23, 2014 by Mark Wignall, The Jamaica Observer. 

That was at a time when Ministry of Health denied it was rapidly spreading as argue in my blog article entitled “Chikungunya Virus now confirmed in Jamaica - Female Traveller From Florida via Puerto Rico and How to fight Chic-V”.  

Currently the Chief Medical Officer in the Health Ministry, Dr Marion Bullock DuCasse in response to Dr Sandra Williams-Phillips has re-iterated that there is no Laboratory confirmed evidence of Zika Virus in Jamaica in the article “No Laboratory-Confirmed Case Of Zika Virus In Jamaica”, Health Ministry Insists, published Thursday October 22, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.  

So who's telling the truth here?

Zika Virus Symptoms - Chikungunya Virus Part II but with milder symptoms

The symptoms of the Zika Virus need to be re-explained.

Similar to the Chikungunya Virus but milder, the symptoms manifest within three (3) to twelve (12) days after the first bite by an infected Aedes Aegypti mosquito.

After the initial infection, symptoms will last for four (4) to seven (7) days. The infected experience mild Chikungunya-like symptoms that last for up to four (4) weeks or longer as follows:

1.      Conjunctivitis

2.      Fever

3.      Headache

4.      Joint and muscle pain

5.      Rash

6.      Swelling of the lower limbs

7.      Weakness

If your diet is lacking in Vitamin C up until this point, a large dose will not be able to defend itself effectively against the Zika Virus as explained 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”.

You have to have a diet that's consistently loaded with Vegetables and fruits that contain Vitamin C as well as taking supplement that contain the vitamin.

Vitamin C is not a cure all for all diseases as having it as a regular part of your diet boost your immune system and make it able to withstand viral infections 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”.

So folks, don't await word from the very unreliable Minister of Health, Dr. Fenton Ferguson, who's still not planning to resign as noted in my blog article entitled “Why Minister of Health refuses to resign - How 18 baby deaths from Klebsiella and Serratia Bacteria is Public Health Scandal of 2015”. 

Start eating fruits and Vegetables as a regular part of your diet and take Vitamin C supplement to boost your immune system, as the Zika Virus is here!

12 infected with Zika Virus - Ministry of Health Denial as Political Connection emerges

There's more to this story as well.

On Thursday October 1^st 2015 Opposition spokesperson on health Senator Marlene Malahoo Forte had reported that she had reliable information that the Zika Virus was in Jamaica as reported in the article “Forte says Zika-V is now in Jamaica”, published Oct 01, 2015 by Abka Fitz-Henley, Nationwide News.

To quote Opposition spokesperson on health Senator Marlene Malahoo Forte: “I have heard that there are confirmed cases of the ZIK-V here... I got a call from someone whose employee was tested, and I'm reliably advised that it is a confirmed case”.

Currently the position of the Minister of Health, Dr. Fenton Ferguson is that there is no case of Zika Virus in Jamaica as mentioned in the Jamaica Information Service article “No Zika Virus in Jamaica”, published October 3, 2015 by Garfield Angus, The Jamaica Information Service. 

Remember, folks, this is the same reporter that broke the story on the 18 babies that had died since July 2015 to October 2015 from infections due to Klebsiella and Serratia bacteria as reported in my blog article entitled “18 Jamaican babies die from Klebsiella and Serratia - How lack of Water caused UHWI and Cornwall Hospital Babies Deaths”.

Nationwide News Twitter account @Nationwideradioalso had the same byline as shown below

The Opposition JLP says it has information that the mosquito borne Zika virus is in Jamaica.

— Nationwide90FM (@Nationwideradio) October 1, 2015

Could Dr Sandra Williams-Phillips have been Senator Marlene Malahoo Forte's source? And even if it isn't, are there other doctors, especially those who'd first reported on the Chikungunya Virus last year, that have noticed persons with symptoms of the Zika Virus?

Zika Virus in Jamaica - How Children will die by the Hundreds due to weakened Immune systems

Interestingly, aside from being infected herself along with the twelve (12), Dr Sandra Williams-Phillips says some of those twelve (12) with symptoms of the Zika Virus are children. 

Already children are being infected with the Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, which is still rapidly spreading as noted in my blog article entitled “313 Cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease in Jamaican Schools - Why the Coxsackie Virus thrives in a Drought”.

These multiple threat of diseases will weaken their immune system. From a purely logical point of view, the Zika Virus should already be here, as an infected case was detected in the Dominica Republic since June 2015 as reported in my blog article entitled “Zika Virus in Caribbean as Dominica Republic Girl infected - Why Zika Virus will reach Jamaica and How to prepare using Citronella Soap and Vitamin C”.  

There isn't much frequent travel between Jamaica and Dominica Republic, being as they are a Spanish speaking nation and Jamaican aren't bi-lingual; we're mostly fond of Miami, Barbados, St. Lucia or Cayman Islands, anywhere English is spoken.

But a lot of Foreign nationals, including Spanish speaking people are in Jamaica on three month work permits to do various construction work, as the Ministry of Labour and Social Security indicates in my blog article entitled “FDI and Jamaican Work Permits granted to Foreigners – FDI increase when Infrastructure Project start due to Skilled Certified Labour Shortage”.

Professor Michael Taylor, Head of the climate studies group at the University of the West Indies, had pretty much predicted that Climate Change and the resultant Drought conditions coupled with heavier, unseasonal rainfall would have caused an increase in pathogens and diseases as noted in my blog article entitled “Dr. Taylor links Climate Change to increase in Diseases in Jamaica - Dengue, Pink Eye and Zika Virus coming and Asthma rising”.  

So expect in a few days from now the Ministry of Health to backtrack and suddenly declare what Senator Marlene Malahoo Forte and Dr Sandra Williams-Phillips have alerted us about; the Zika Virus is here.

The increased Aedes Aegypti Mosquito population thanks to the rains finally coming to partially quench the drought and now Colombia and Brazil reporting Zika Virus cases means Jamaica is next.