The Department of Environmental Health Services (DEHS) is prepared to fog New Providence and is making preparations to fog the Family Islands to mitigate against the transmission of the Zika virus, DEHS Director Andrew Forbes said yesterday.
The Zika virus is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. This mosquito also transmits Dengue and Chikungunya, both of which have impacted The Bahamas. As of yesterday, there were no confirmed cases of the virus in The Bahamas.
During a press conference at the Ministry of Health, Thompson said, "Of course, where it is necessary we have prepared ourselves to fog the island of New Providence, and we are making preparations to do the same in our Family Islands."
But health officials said a multi-faceted approach is needed, including due diligence.
"Without the vector you cannot get the disease," Minister of Health Dr. Perry Gomez said. "So, let us clean up our yards, get rid of all the bottles and cans and buckets, and so on, and turn them over so we don't have water in the yards. We have to clean up our country in that regard. This is a very serous virus to come into any country."
Gomez told Parliament on Wednesday that all the relevant government agencies are on alert and will be closely monitoring all healthcare facilities and working to mitigate mosquito populations. He also said the Ministry of Health has been monitoring the situation across the country for the past three months.
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) representative Dr. Gerry Eijkemans said yesterday the virus has been spreading since the first reported case in Brazil last year.
"There are two main reasons why this virus is spreading so quickly," Eijkemans said.
"First, the population of the Americas does not have any immunity because this is the first time that this virus is reaching the shores of the Americas. Secondly, the mosquito that spreads the virus, the Aedes aegypti, is present in almost all of the countries except Canada and Chile. PAHO stated two days ago that it anticipates that the Zika virus will continue to spread in the region and will likely reach all countries and territories in the region where Aedes aegypti are found."
Cases of the Zika virus have been reported in 22 countries, including Haiti.
Pregnant women in the first and second trimester could give birth to abnormal babies if infected with the virus, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
There is no vaccine available for the virus. It can also be transmitted through sexual intercourse, blood transfusion and laboratory exposure, according to the WHO. Symptoms of the virus are similar to dengue and last up to seven days. However, eight out of 10 people who contract the virus will present no symptoms, Eijkemans said.
Dr. Percival McNeil, consultant to the Ministry of Health, said the ministry wants the public to be "informed and prepared, but not to panic".
The Aedes aegypti mosquito is an aggressive daytime biter, according to officials.
Contact the DEHS' hotline on 502-4790 502-4776 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for more information on the Zika virus and travel.
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