No Zika virus cases: Ministry of Health

There are currently no confirmed cases of Zika virus in Vanuatu, the Ministry of Health says.

It adds that Vanuatu had two confirmed cases of Zika virus in 2015.

However no major outbreaks have so far been recorded, the Ministry says in a statement.

Zika Virus in the Pacific

Zika virus was first reported in the Pacific in April 2007, in Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia. It was then reported in French Polynesia in October 2013. Since then, a number of Pacific Island Countries have reported cases of Zika virus, including New Caledonia, Cook Islands, Solomon Islands, Samoa and Tonga.

Vanuatu response

The Ministry of Health says it is aware of the recent health concerns that are linked with Zika virus and is drafting a national Zika Virus preparedness and response plan. The plan will engage key health sectors, including public health units, referral hospitals, provincial health facilities and other health partners.

“Because Zika virus is currently not circulating in Vanuatu, the main focus at the moment will be to strengthen disease surveillance systems and diagnostic activities. This is to ensure that any possible Zika cases are detected quickly and responded to appropriately,” the Ministry of Health (MoH) says in a statement.

It says people can reduce mosquito breeding sites around their house by emptying or covering containers that can hold water, such as buckets, old tyres, water tanks, rubbish. Cleaning up around your household and community can reduce the potential of Zika virus and other mosquito borne diseases from spreading.

The Ministry of Health will be launching a mass clean-up campaign in the coming weeks to reduce mosquito breeding sites.

Personal and household protection

The best way for people to prevent getting infected with Zika virus is to prevent being bitten by mosquitoes. The most effective personal protection measures include: Wearing clothes (preferably light-coloured) that cover as much of the body as possible, especially feet and legs; Using insect repellent; Using physical barriers such as screens, closed doors and windows; Sleeping under mosquito nets when sleeping during the day or at dawn and dusk, when Aedes mosquitoes are most active; Emptying or covering containers that can hold water (as mentioned above). If you do not have a mosquito net, please visit your provincial health office.

Pregnant women and women planning to become pregnant

Pregnant women who feel they may have been exposed to Zika virus, or have symptoms of Zika virus, should visit their nearest healthcare facility for further information.

Currently there is no evidence to suggest that Zika virus, after it is cleared from the blood will cause any birth defects in future pregnancies. Zika virus usually remains in the blood of an infected person for about one week.

Zika Virus

The World Health Organisation has recently announced that the Zika virus is an international public health emergency.

This was due to the strong association between Zika virus infection in pregnancy and birth malformations such as microcephaly. Due to the unusual increase in the number of microcephaly cases and other neurological disorders being reported following a Zika outbreak, this link is being investigated in Brazil and a number of other affected countries.

Microcephaly is a condition where a baby has an abnormally small head size, which can cause delayed development and mental retardation in some cases.

Zika virus is also suspected of causing Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a neurological disorder that can sometimes result in muscle paralysis.

Zika virus is transmitted by the Aedes mosquito, which is the same type of mosquito that spreads Dengue fever, Chikungunya and Yellow fever. In most cases, Zika virus is spread through the bite of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that are found in most tropical countries, including Vanuatu. The Aedes mosquito is a daytime biting mosquito that breeds in standing water found in containers around the household, such as old tyres, drums, buckets, water tanks, pot plant trays and rubbish.

Symptoms

Symptoms of Zika virus are usually mild and self-limiting. Symptoms include: Fever; Rash; Joint pain; Headache; Conjunctivitis (red eye).

Symptoms can typically occur 2 to 7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito and usually last for several days to a week. There is also a large proportion of people who are infected with Zika virus that do not show any symptoms (approximately 75%).

Symptoms of Zika virus are similar to the symptoms of Dengue fever.

There is currently no vaccine or specific medicine to prevent or treat Zika virus.

Anyone that suspects that they have symptoms of Zika virus should visit their nearest healthcare facility as soon as possible for accurate testing and follow up.

Treatment

Treat the symptoms of Zika virus by: Drinking lots of water; Resting; Taking medicines such as Paracetamol (Panadol) to treat pain and fever.