Health department has plan to prevent Zika virus from entering SA
by Staff Writer,
2016-02-17 18:22:25.0
SA HAS developed an action plan to prevent the introduction and spread of Zika virus into the country‚ the Department of Health says.
The department‚ which has been carefully monitoring the outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil and other affected countries‚ said on Wednesday that the plan had been developed through the multisectoral National Outbreak Response Team‚ National Institute for Communicable Diseases and country offices of the World Health Organisation and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Prevention measures implemented included the activation of outbreak response teams and the development of prevention and control guidelines. An emergency operations centre (EOC) was also on standby and would be active in the event of an outbreak in the country.
Risk communication had also been initiated to raise public awareness on signs and symptoms of the Zika virus disease‚ preventive measures and where to seek healthcare if symptoms developed. Information was available on the Department of Health’s website‚ spokesman Joe Maila said.
He added that disinfection of aircraft‚ airports and cargo containers was ongoing.
Protection from mosquito bites and the elimination of mosquito breeding sites was also emphasised‚ Mr Maila said.
"Zika virus is transmitted to humans through a mosquito vector‚ Aedes‚ that also transmits the dengue‚ yellow fever and chikungunya viruses. Symptoms of Zika virus are usually mild and self-limiting; however, it has been associated with microcephaly and other neurological disorders," the department said.
"There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission other than the two cases of sexual transmission recently reported."
"In SA, the local mosquito species, although present‚ is unlikely to act as vectors to transmit Zika virus due to them being different and having a different behavioural pattern compared to the vectors in the current outbreak in South America," the department said.
"In addition‚ Zika virus has not been identified further south than Uganda in Africa."
PRECAUTIONS: Global health authorities suspect the mosquito-borne Zika virus has caused a spike in Brazil of microcephaly, a birth defect marked by an abnormally small head. Picture: REUTERS
SA HAS developed an action plan to prevent the introduction and spread of Zika virus into the country‚ the Department of Health says.
The department‚ which has been carefully monitoring the outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil and other affected countries‚ said on Wednesday that the plan had been developed through the multisectoral National Outbreak Response Team‚ National Institute for Communicable Diseases and country offices of the World Health Organisation and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Prevention measures implemented included the activation of outbreak response teams and the development of prevention and control guidelines. An emergency operations centre (EOC) was also on standby and would be active in the event of an outbreak in the country.
Risk communication had also been initiated to raise public awareness on signs and symptoms of the Zika virus disease‚ preventive measures and where to seek healthcare if symptoms developed. Information was available on the Department of Health’s website‚ spokesman Joe Maila said.
He added that disinfection of aircraft‚ airports and cargo containers was ongoing.
Protection from mosquito bites and the elimination of mosquito breeding sites was also emphasised‚ Mr Maila said.
"Zika virus is transmitted to humans through a mosquito vector‚ Aedes‚ that also transmits the dengue‚ yellow fever and chikungunya viruses. Symptoms of Zika virus are usually mild and self-limiting; however, it has been associated with microcephaly and other neurological disorders," the department said.
"There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission other than the two cases of sexual transmission recently reported."
"In SA, the local mosquito species, although present‚ is unlikely to act as vectors to transmit Zika virus due to them being different and having a different behavioural pattern compared to the vectors in the current outbreak in South America," the department said.
"In addition‚ Zika virus has not been identified further south than Uganda in Africa."
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