FOLLOWING confirmation of a case of the Zika virus in Brazil, the Ministry of Health has issued several releases urging Jamaicans to clean up their surroundings and destroy mosquito-breeding sites.

The Zika virus threat to the island, comes on the heels of a CHIKV epidemic that recently wreaked havoc on the economy and the population.

Yesterday, Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson urged citizens to use Labour Day, to destroy potential mosquito-breeding sites. The minister said the activities should include repairing leaking pipes and outdoor faucets, cutting the grass short and trimming shrubbery, clearing roof gutters and eaves to prevent water from settling, and filling in and draining any low places in the yard such as areas where there are usually puddles when it rains.

“I also want persons to pay special attention to water storage containers especially five gallon drums which have been found to be the main breeding site for the Aedes aegypti mosquito which spreads several viruses including dengue, chikungunya and the Zika virus, which has now become a threat to the Caribbean region and therefore Jamaica,” Dr Ferguson said.

To destroy mosquito-breeding sites, the Health Ministry said people should fill old tyres with dirt or get rid of them and any other container in which water can settle, punch holes in tins before disposing, change water in vases and clean them regularly to destroy mosquito eggs, and cover large drums, barrels and tanks holding water.

Last week, the Ministry of Health said the Zika virus, or ZIKV, 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.

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control the disease symptoms are mild and short-lasting.

The Ministry of Health said after the bite of an infected mosquito, symptoms usually appear following the incubation period of three to 12 days. The symptoms are said to last for four to seven days. It is also noteworthy that no deaths due to the Zika virus have been recorded worldwide to date, according to the Health Ministry.

“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,” the permanent secretary in the ministry, Dr Kevin Harvey, said last week. “There is no specific vaccine or treatment for the virus and so personal responsibility is key.”

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says treatement of ZIKV is symptomatic only (non-steroid anti-inflammatories, non-salicylic analgetics); explaining further that no vaccine or preventive drug is available.

The Health Ministry also stated last week that mosquito control is the only measure that can interrupt the transmission of vector-borne diseases such as ZIKV.

It said ZIKV was first isolated in 1947 in a Rhesus monkey in the Zika Forest, Uganda. It was first isolated in humans in 1952 in Uganda and Tanzania. Outbreaks have been seen since then in countries including the island of Yap in 2007, French Polynesia in 2013 and Brazil in 2015.

The island is still reeling from the recent onset of CHIKV, which to this day has left several Jamaicans with lingering joint pains.

Some people have expressed concerns as to whether the island can handle another mosquito-borne infection at this time, and with them still experiencing physical ailments because of CHIKV, they are dreading the possible effects ZIKV might have on the population.

So how can the Zika virus be prevented?

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said to reduce the risk of contracting Zika virus infection – as for the other mosquito-borne infections – people should minimise the exposure to mosquito bites by taking the following preventive measures:

Use of anti-mosquito devices (insecticide-treated bed nets, coils, smudge pots, spray, repellents) and wearing long sleeves and clothes with long legs, especially during the hours of highest mosquito activity (morning and late afternoon). Mosquito repellent based on a 30 per cent DEET concentration is recommended;

Before using repellents, pregnant women and children under the age of 12 years should consult a physician or pharmacist;

For newborn children under three months, repellents are not recommended; instead, insecticide-treated bed nets should be used.