Yes
Jamaicans, time to start stocking up on your DEET spray and Citronella Candles!
The
first case of the Zika Virus was confirmed on Saturday January 30th 2016 in no
less place than Portmore, St. Catherine as reported in the article “Jamaica
confirms first case of Zika virus”, published Saturday, January 30, 2016, The Jamaica Observer and “Jamaica
Confirms First Case Of The Zika Virus”, Published Saturday January 30,
2016, The Jamaica Gleaner.
The
first victim, a 4-y-o child from Portmore, St Catherine had been treated at the
Bustamante Hospital for Children, with samples of his blood and fluids sent to
CARPHA (Caribbean Public Health Agency) for testing on Tuesday January 26th
2016. According to the Ministry of Health, Saturday January 30th 2016
marks the date when CARPHA has confirmed that he indeed does have the Zika
Virus.
The
4-y-o child actually began showing symptoms of the disease as far as Sunday
January 17th 2016 after returning from Texas in the US of A, which
suggests that he probably caught it in the US. Minister of Health Horace Dalley
has promised a full update in a press briefing that will be carried live via
Traditional Media on Monday, February 1st, 2016.
So
how is the US of A holding up again the Zika virus?
Zika Virus now in 11
States - CDC the only test facility as Zika may be Sexually transmitted
Currently,
there are 36 confirmed cases of the Zika Virus in some eleven (11) states as
reported in the article “Zika
Virus Update: 36 People in US Infected, Houston Woman Recounts Infection”,
published January 29 2016 by Gillian Mohney, ABC
News.
Here’s
a detailed primer on the Zika Virus to get you up to speed in case you’ve been
living under a rock for some time!
Evidence
is now emerging that suggests that the Zika Virus may be sexually transmitted
as noted in the article “Zika
Virus: Two Cases Suggest It Could Be Spread Through Sex”, published January
25 2016 by Donald G. Mcneil jr, New York
Times.
The
sexually transmitted nature of the Zika Virus was predicted some time ago in my
blog article
entitled “Why
8 Barbadians possibly with Zika Virus and 66 dead from H1N1 means Jamaica by
February 2016”. So condom use is a must!
There
is no commercial test, no vaccine and no cure for the Zika Virus in the US of A
albeit work has begun in earnest for a Vaccine similar to those for Chikungunya,
Influenza and Dengue Fever as noted in the article “Research
into possible vaccine for Zika virus begins”, published Thursday January 28,
2016, The Jamaica Gleaner.
Most
of the testing for the Zika Virus in the Caribbean done by CARPHA as explained
in the article “ZIKV
FACTS: CARPHA outlines testing method for Zika virus”, Published Wednesday
January 27, 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner is done using one of two methods:
1.
Polymerase chain reaction
2.
Immunoglobulin
These
tests have to be carried out at the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), making
controlling the spread difficult as noted in the article “How
to cut off the spread of a Zika virus”, published January 26, 2016 By Ford
Vox, CNN.
So
how well will Jamaica fare against the Zika Virus?
Zika Virus in Jamaica -
Many suspect Zika Virus in Jamaica long before
My
prediction that the Zika Virus would have begun spreading in the south of US of
A has come to pass.
This
is going to spread rapidly, especially given their rain weather as prophesied
in my blog
article entitled “Why
the US of A must fear Zika Virus as Dominica and Jamaica next by February 2016”.
However,
it seems a bit odd that it didn't start from one of the small island countries
from which people frequently travel such as Haiti, a source of illegal
immigrants to the island as predicted in my blog article
entitled “Why
Haiti and Guyana Zika Virus cases means Jamaica will get Zika Virus by
Valentine's Day”.
Word-on-the-street
suggests that it may possibly have come to Jamaica long before this official
announcement, reminiscent of how the Chikungunya Virus had started from a
Florida traveller who came from Puerto Rico back in July 2014 as noted in my blog article
entitled “Chikungunya
Virus now confirmed in Jamaica - Female Traveller From Florida via Puerto Rico
and How to fight Chic-V”.
Jamaica
now makes it sixteen (16) on the list of countries in the Caribbean Region that
have reported an infection of the Zika Virus:
1.
Brazil
2.
Colombia
3.
El Salvador
4.
French Guiana
5.
Guatemala
6.
Guyana
7.
Haiti
8.
Honduras
9.
Jamaica
10. Martinique
11. Mexico
12. Panama
13. Paraguay
14. Puerto
Rico
15. Suriname
16. Venezuela
Already
in Zika Virus is spreading at an alarmingly rapid rate in South America and the
rest of the world according to the WHO (World Health Organization) in the
article “Zika
virus ‘spreading explosively’ — WHO”, published Friday, January 29, 2016, The Jamaica Observer.
The
condition of microcephaly, where babies are born with shrunken heads,
potentially causing learning and developmental disabilities and leading to
death, is exploding in Brazil, where the link was first noted as reported in my
blog article
entitled “Ministry
of Health's 1000 Health volunteers for Zika Virus as 1,200 babies in Brazil
with microcephaly”.
Cases
of microcephaly may soon explode in Colombia.
This
as some 2100 cases of pregnant women contracting the Zika Virus have been
reported in that country as noted in the article “Colombia
Reports More Than 2,100 Pregnant Women Have Zika Virus”, published January
30 2016 by Reuters, New York Times.
Check
out this map showing the spread of the Zika Virus globally.
So
is this the beginning of the spread of the Zika virus in the Western Hemisphere?
And will the Zika Virus go global?
Zika Virus in Portmore
- Jamaican spread to result in baby deaths
The
Ministry of Health is investigating this case to determine the source of the
infection.
The
Ministry of Health has budgeted some JA$200 million to fight the spread of the
Zika Virus as reported in the article “Zika
virus preparedness in Jamaica gets multi-million-dollar injection”,
published January 22, 2016, Caribbean360
and “Health
Ministry estimates J$200-million Zika budget”, published Wednesday January
20, 2016, RJR News Online.
So
far, the 4-y-o boy’s parents and immediate relatives are not showing signs of
illness but testing is expanding as reported in the article “ZIKV
arrives - One case confirmed, scores more being tested”, published Sunday
January 31, 2016 by Nadine Wilson-Harris, The
Jamaica Gleaner.
Already,
the Ministry of Health has labled some parishes at high risk of getting the
Zika Virus as reported in the article “7
parishes declared high-risk areas for Zika virus”, published Thursday,
January 21, 2016 by Kimberely Hibbert, The
Jamaica Observer:
1.
Kingston
2.
St Andrew
3.
St Catherine
4.
St Thomas
5.
Clarendon
6.
Manchester
7.
Westmoreland
Zika
Virus take four (4) to seven (7) days after the initial infection and last for
up to four (4) weeks or longer:
1.
Conjunctivitis
2.
Fever
3.
Headache
4.
Joint and muscle pain
5.
Rash
6.
Swelling of the lower limbs
7.
Weakness
Jamaicans
characterize as high-risk need to be especially vigilant against the Zika
Virus, as they need to prepare themselves to be very ill from this otherwise mild
illness as explained in the article “High
Risk Persons Urged to be Extra Vigilant against Zikv”, published January
22, 2016 By Rochelle Williams, The Jamaica
Information Service.
The
very vulnerable are the following Jamaicans:
1.
Babies
2.
Children suffering from an illness
3.
Elderly persons with other health
problems
A
diet loaded with Vegetables and fruits that contain Vitamin C can 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”.
This
might not be enough, however, as I currently take Vitamin C and Vitamin B12 Complex
to boost my chances of survival as noted in my blog article
entitled “Why
the US of A must fear Zika Virus as Dominica and Jamaica next by February 2016”.
Women
are being advised to not get pregnant for at least a year or until the Zika
Virus epidemic is over to reduce the risk of their child being born with the
birth defect microcephaly associate with the Zika Virus as reported in the
article “Delay
your pregnancy for 6 to 12 months’”, published Tuesday, January 19, 2016, The Jamaica Observer.
This
is following on the pregnancy bans in countries such as Colombia, Ecuador and
El Salvador where the Zika Virus is spreading like wildfire as noted in the
article “Zika
virus triggers pregnancy delay calls”, published 23 January 2016, BBC News.
The
MOH is doing the necessary checks in the community in Portmore, St, Catherine,
increasing their vector control activities to reduce the population of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. This might not
work so well, as Portmore is loaded with canals and lots of water.
Western end of Jamaica ready
for Zika – Island Spread expected to affect many
Still,
preparations are ongoing in the Western end of Jamaica with the parish of Hanover
leading the way as noted in “Hanover
heightens vector control activities as ZIKV looms”, published Thursday,
January 28, 2016 by Anthony Lewis, The
Jamaica Observer.
Already,
preparations are in full swing at the CRH (Cornwall Regional Hospital) in
Montego Bay, St James to handle cases of the Zika Virus including pregnant
women as noted in the article “CRH
ready to handle Zika virus – says hospital and WRHA”, published Tuesday
January 26, 2016 by Christopher Thomas, The
Jamaica Gleaner.
People in Portmore can reduce their chances of being bitten by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito by:
1. Wearing long-sleeved clothing or long pants
2. Using DEET insect repellents
3. Sleeping under mosquito nets
4. Removing or covering container that can hold water
Reducing
the breeding places for the Aedes Aegypti
mosquito is important in curtailing the spread of the Zika Virus as shown in the
CARPHAYard Poster below.
Worse
the rains have begun to fall in recent days, creating the perfect storm for a major
outbreak of the Zika Virus in Jamaica.
Already,
an emergency meeting of the WHO (World Health Organization) slated for Monday
February 1st 2016 is being foreshadowed by talk of the Zika Virus being a North
and South American Epidemic worse than Ebola in Africa as noted in the article
“Zika
virus could be bigger global health threat than Ebola, say health experts”,
published Saturday 30 January 2016 by Robin McKie, The UK Guardian.
2016
is definately looking like the year of the Zika Virus in Jamaica.
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