Why the Ministry of Health is covering up Local Transmission of Zika Virus in Jamaica

Looks like there is a cover-up brewing in the Ministry of Health headed by Health Minister Horace Dalley!

Interestingly, Friday February 5^th 2016 has been declared as a cleanup day in Portmore as reported in the article “February 5 is Clean-Up Day in Portmore”, published  February 2, 2016 By Peta Gay Rowe, The Jamaica Information Service.

It has now been revealed on Thursday February 4^th 2016 that the first case of the Zika Virus was located in Greater Portmore as noted in the article “Jamaica’s first Zika case was in Greater Portmore, Dalley reveals”, published Thursday, February 04, 2016, The Jamaica Observer. 

 

This is the part of Portmore that the 4-y-o child who is the first official case of the Zika Virus resides. I’d pointed out in my blog article entitled “How Zika Virus confirmed in Portmore, St. Catherine will spread throught Jamaica”  that the Zika Virus was primed to spread islandwide.

Health Minister Horace Dalley had initially refused to reveal the section of Portmore that the 4-y-o child who had just returned from Texas was from as noted in the article “Ministry refuses to name community with first Zika virus case”, published Thursday, February 04, 2016 by Anika Richards, The Jamaica Observer.

Zika Virus now a Global Epidemic - Spread by Sexual Intercourse and Body fluids

So now that we know, Greater Portmore peeps may want to start buying up bottles of DEET mosquito repellant along with bottles of Vitamin C and Vitamin B12 to start boosting their immune systems against the coming onslaught of the Zika Virus.

After all, the WHO (World Health Authority) has declared on Monday February 1^st 2016 that the Zika Virus is a Global Epidemic possibly bigger than Ebola as noted in the article “Zika Virus a Global Health Emergency, W.H.O. Says”, published Monday February 1st 2016 by Sabrina Tavernise and Donald Mcneil jr, The New York Times.

 

The cleanup effort is really a roundabout way of saying that the people of Portmore are basically doomed, as the National Bird in Portmore, especially Greater Portmore is the Aedes Aegypti Mosquito.

Now we may be even more doomed, as Brazilian scientists have now detected the Zika Virus in saliva and Urine, suggesting that it can be passed through contact with body fluids e.g. kissing as noted in the article “Active Zika found in saliva and urine” published Friday February 5th 2016 By James Gallagher, BBC News.

 

This isn't surprising at all, as evidence is now surfacing that suggests that the Zika Virus can also be spread via  sexual intercourse, effectively an exchange of bodily fluids as confirmed by the CDC in the article “Zika has been sexually transmitted in Texas, CDC confirms”, published February 4, 2016 By Sandee LaMotte, CNN.

Mis-information is spreading folks; something isn't right about the Ministry of Health's declaration as it relates to the Zika Virus.

Ministry of Health Coverup - Infection timeline reveals that it came from Jamaica

For one, the 4-y-o child did not get the Zika Virus in Texas as noted in the article “Texas link to Jamaican Zika case unlikely”, state officials say, published February 1 2016, The Houston Chronicle.

 

The obvious clue can be seen from the timeline of his diagnosis:

1.      Sunday January 17^th 2016 - Returned from Texas

2.      Tuesday January 26^th 2016 - Reported sick; Blood samples were sent to CARPHA (Caribbean Public Health Agency) for testing

3.      Friday January 29^th 2016 - CARPHA reported the samples tested positive for Zika Virus

4.      Saturday January 30^th 2016 - Ministry of Health reported 4-y-o child from Portmore as first Zika Virus Case

As far as the Texas DSHS (Department of State Health Services) are concerned, there is no cause for alarm as there is no evidence of a local spread of the Zika Virus in Texas. To quote Texas DSHS spokeswoman Carrie Williams: “Given what we learned, the evidence supported the fact that infection likely occurred in Jamaica and did not raise a concern for local transmission here. We're not releasing case details beyond what Jamaica is providing, given there isn't a public health reason to do so”.

By Monday February 1^st 2016, Minister of Health Horace Dalley was very quick to point out that they did not say that was the case, as they'd mentioned he come back from Texas as stated in the article

  “We did not say child was infected with Zika in Texas — Health Minister”, published Wednesday, February 03, 2016, The Jamaica Observer.

But if this is the case, it means that the Zika Virus was already in Jamaica and may actually be spreading among the population  as I'd log ago predicted in my blog article entitled “12 Jamaicans infected with Zika Virus - Why Zika Virus is already Spreading in Jamaica due to Climate Change”.

Folks, we may be witnessing a cover-up similar to what happened back in September 2014 during the spread of the Chikunguya Virus as noted in my blog article entitled “Jamaican Chikungunya Virus cover-up - JA$10,000 for Chikungunya Virus Test as Tropical Storm Edouard boost Aedes aegypti Mosquito”.

Why the Zika Virus may have been in Jamaica since October 2015 - Winning General Election at any cost

In fact, as I’ve asserted above, the Zika Virus may already be in these parishes labled as high-risk for 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

 

It'll be somewhat difficult to tell, as the symptoms of the 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

As of Thursday February 4^th 2016, The CDC (Center for Disease Control) have place Jamaica on their US Zika Travel Advisory List, advising American citizens susceptible to the Zika Virus not to travel to Jamaica as well as other countries where the disease is spreading as reported in the article “Jamaica Added To US Zika Travel Advisory List”, published Thursday February 4, 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner.

The very vulnerable are:

1.      Babies

2.      Children suffering from an illness

3.      Elderly persons with other health problems

   

Also, contrary to what the Ministry of Health is saying, the Aedes Aegypti Mosquito does not need perfectly still clean water to lay it eggs. It only needs water in a slow moving stream e.g. gullies or rivers, as they can lay their eggs and attach them to algae blooms or aquatic water grass growing in water.

Removing old tyres and water containers will not work. Removal of water in the gullies and drains, albeit moving water, is prime breeding ground for the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. Despite this, 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 will reduce the spread of the Zika Virus as shown in the CARPHA Yard Poster below.

 

So gullies and swamps can host the eggs of the Aedes Aegypti Mosquito as the Ministry of Health focuses their cleanup efforts on other alternative breeding sites for the Zika Virus. The focus of prevention efforts must therefore focus on reducing the breeding capability of the Aedes Aegypti Mosquito.

Not to mention the Ministry of Health telling the truth. As of now I'm awaiting the first report of a local transmission of the Zika Virus, as so far it appears to be spreading rapidly via mosquitoes and body fluids.