DOH Eastern Visayas steps up drive against Zika

PALO, Leyte, Oct. 13 (PNA) -- The Department of Health (DOH) regional office here is stepping up its awareness drive on Zika virus in the region as the government reported new cases in the country in the past few weeks.

DOH Eastern Visayas information officer Elaine Villarosa said the region is vulnerable to the spread of Zika virus with the presence of Aedes aegypti, the type of mosquito that transmits this kind of disease.

"Patients who are positive of Zika virus have no travel histories so that means the disease is transmitted locally," Villarosa said.

Health teams have been deployed in six provinces to assist local government units in the information drive.

Information materials have been posted in airports, terminals, public places, rural health units, village halls to educate the public.

Earlier, the DOH sent advisories informing the public on the key facts about the disease, transmission, signs and symptoms, complication, prevention, and treatment.

The DOH asked the public to avoid infection by preventing mosquito bites through use of insect repellents, use of window and door screens, wearing of long-sleeved shirts and long pants.

On a weekly basis, households are advised to empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out items that hold water, such as tires, buckets, planters, toys or trash containers.

Zika virus is transmitted to people through the bite of an infected mosquito in tropical regions.

The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting two to seven days, but we are more concerned with the complication for pregnant women. The baby inside the womb may develop abnormality in the size of its head due to incomplete brain development called microcephaly, according to DOH.

The virus has also been associated with the Guillain-Barre syndrome, a poorly understood condition that sometimes results in paralysis.

In the Philippines, the DOH has already recorded 15 positive cases of Zika virus - 13 in Iloilo City, one in Cebu City, and one in the National Capital Region.(PNA)
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