Eastern Visayas remains Zika-free

PALO, Leyte, Dec. 11 (PNA) -- Eastern Visayas remained a Zika-free region after the recent six suspected victims turned out to be negative of the mosquito-borne disease, the Department of Health (DOH) regional office here confirmed.

Most of the region’s suspected victims were found in Maasin City in Southern Leyte, where some communities were hit by Chikungunya, a viral disease transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes.

“We are doing our best through advocacies and the media to spread about 4S since there are confirmed cases in neighboring Western Visayas and Central Visayas regions already,” said DOH regional information officer Elena Joy Villarosa.

The 4S stands for search and destroy mosquito breeding places, self-protection measures, seek early consultation for fevers lasting more than two days and say yes to fogging during an impending outbreak.

Villarosa also urged the community and every household to do their part in the prevention -- to regularly do search and destroy operations and to keep the region Zika-free.

As of last week, the country has 39 confirmed Zika virus cases coming from the National Capital Region, Southern Tagalog, Western Visayas and Central Visayas.

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. (PNA)
JBP/SQM/Yazmin Ellen C. Espina (OJT)