PH WELL ARMED AGAINST ZIKA VIRUS

Photo courtesy of www.cnn.com

The abrupt spread of Zika virus from around the world urges the government to remain vigilant and be on guard. 1,000 kits are ready if the disease hits the country.

The ZIKA virus which is similar to the Dengue virus is also carried by mosquitoes: Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, or tiger mosquitoes. The effects include neurological problems, microcephaly which is resulting to babies being born with unusually small heads and other neurological problems with the newborns as well. A documented case as early as 2012 was recorded in the Philippines.

According to Health Secretary Janette Garin the virus is spreading worldwide and a lot of them are coming from Latin American countries, Philippines is still not on the list. She also said that the kits aren’t available commercially as there is a lack of it worldwide; they are currently stored at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Muntinlupa City.

According to Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III; the President personally instructed the Department of Health to study the virus and be prepared to ensure the public safety.

Travelers are also advised to be careful especially if travelling to the Zika virus infested countries as the DOH didn’t declare any travel bans.