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Published On: Sat, Nov 14th, 2015

Zika confirmed in the Caribbean

The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has confirmed at least five cases of infection with the mosquito borne virus, Zika virus, in the region of the Caribbean, although they did not specify which countries or territories the virus was found.

Image/CIA

Image/CIA

However, it has already been confirmed that at least two locally acquired cases were seen in Surinameone of CARPHA’s Member states.

This is the first time Zika has been detected in a territory of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Executive Director, CARPHA, Dr. C. James Hospedales emphasized that prevention and control are fundamental in order to prevent transmission of the virus. He said “The best way to protect yourself from this disease is to avoid mosquito bites and to prevent mosquitoes breeding in and around your home environment.”

Zika is a viral disease, transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is also the insect vector for Dengue and Chikungunya. The symptoms are also very similar to these diseases and include fever, muscle and joint pain, headache, nausea, and rash. There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika and symptoms last approximately four to seven days. Complications are rare and no deaths due to Zika have ever been recorded.

The CARPHA Member states include Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bermuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Curacao, Dominica, Granada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Martin, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos and the British Virgin Islands.

Robert Herriman is a microbiologist and the Editor-in-Chief of Outbreak News Today and the Executive Editor of The Global Dispatch

Follow @bactiman63

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About the Author

- Writer, Co-Founder and Executive Editor of The Global Dispatch. Robert has been covering news in the areas of health, world news and politics for a variety of online news sources. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the website, Outbreak News Today and hosts the podcast, Outbreak News Interviews on iTunes, Stitcher and Spotify Robert is politically Independent and a born again Christian Follow @bactiman63

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    […] Human infection with the mosquito borne Zika virus (ZIKV) has been reported in areas of Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands and more recently, in Latin America and the Caribbean. […]

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