The Ministry of Com-munications and Tourism has stepped in to allay fears about the spread of the Zika virus here given Guyana’s proximity to Brazil.
According to a statement from the ministry, Minister Catherine Hughes said that while some persons have expressed concerns about the geographic proximity of Guyana to Brazil, credible information shows that the Zika virus is more prevalent in the eastern states of Brazil.
“Guyana is fortunately, contiguous to northern Brazil and our immigration authorities say that citizens of these eastern states hardly, if ever, come to Guyana. This minimizes the possibility of infected Brazilians transporting infected mosquitos or their eggs to this country,” the statement said.
Meanwhile the Ministry of Tourism has announced collaborations with the ministries of Public Health, Foreign Affairs and Citizenship to monitor the spread of the virus in Brazil as well as other neighbouring countries including Venezuela, and Suriname.
Meanwhile, the statement alluded to the “aggressive public education programme” aimed at informing the general public of the initiatives that have been launched and to advise Guyanese of their responsibilities to manage their environment to protect themselves from the mosquito bites.
According to the statement, the Public Health Ministry has stepped up its collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and an aggressive countrywide public education and prevention campaign has commenced.
“Up to the first week of February, the Public Health Ministry had treated one single case of the Zika virus. This patient’s medical samples had been sent earlier for testing to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). The positive report returned early January and all parties sprang into action,” the statement noted.
It was explained that since mid-January, the patient and her family members have been under medical supervision even though all of her symptoms have “disappeared”. Since then, several batches of samples taken from Guyanese patients presenting with flu-like symptoms have been tested by CARPHA and the results have all returned negative.
However, Hughes has issued a call to all visitors currently in Guyana to use insect repellent liberally, to cover themselves well and generally avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
The statement went on to acknowledge the efforts of the Ministry of Citizenry, which is also working closely with the Public Health Ministry to “keep Guyana as free as possible from the Zika virus.”
It was noted that all ports of entry are currently being fogged and closely monitored to identify and quarantine any person who was sick on the journey to Guyana, eg was vomiting, had a fever, red or swollen eyes, aching muscles or joints, diarrhoea and, or abdominal pain.
Additionally, the ministry has mandated that all arriving aircraft crew report any illnesses experienced by any passenger en route to Guyana. The Vector Control Unit is expected to shortly begin fumigating every vehicle that crosses the borders with Suriname, Venezuela and Brazil.
In mid-January, Guyana became one of 27 other countries placed on a travel advisory list by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC). According to its website, the CDC had asked pregnant women to avoid visiting these countries because of the presence of the virus.
Last Friday, Hughes and Minister of Citizenship Winston Felix were present at a press conference hosted by the Ministry of Public Health to address the Zika virus.
When the question was raised about the possible effects on tourism, Minister Hughes said that the presence of the virus had not had much of an effect on tourism arrivals.
She further reflected on one instance where she received three emails from tour organizations in North America and London enquiring about the state of the Zika virus in Guyana. Hughes said, “I was very happy to let them know that to date we have had only one case which resulted in us since putting specific measures in place to deal with it.”
Additionally, she explained that her ministry has been working towards preparing a release targeting parts of the international media, some of the Embassies, and High Commissions that have listed Guyana as a place where Zika exits.
“We are contacting them to let them know the real state of the presence of Zika. Unfortunately, we have seen CNN and we are seeing what is happening Brazil. And that is many, many cases, but we are happy that to date we have only had one case. Therefore, the incidents in Brazil and those in Guyana are like chalk and cheese,” she said.
Felix, meanwhile, highlighted his ministry’s responsibility to ensure that steps are taken so that Guyanese are made aware of the dangers of the Zika virus and what measures they can take to protect themselves against infection.
“In this regard we hope to develop a collaborative effort with the Ministry of Health in the exchange of information among officials at the border locations, the vector control persons and other ministry officials in those areas,” Felix noted.
In the meantime, the statement emphasized the efforts of the Public Health Ministry in carefully monitoring every hospital and health facility for reports of symptoms resembling ZIK-V.
The ministry has extended its support base to include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNICEF, the Brazilian Embassy in Guyana and the Health Development Unit at the Caricom Secretariat. In addition, other regional and international agencies have given assurances of support to Guyana’s fight to contain the Zika virus, it explained.
Additionally, it was noted that the vector control unit has also ramped up its already intensive prevention programme in all of Guyana’s 10 administrative regions.
This ongoing exercise was designed to eradicate malaria, dengue and chikungunya which are spread by the same species of Aedes Aegypti and Aedes Polynesiensis mosquitoes.
The vector control unit was said to have stepped up distribution of treated mosquito nets and intense fogging in the city and its environs, in all towns and the hinterland regions to kill adult mosquitos and their larvae and destroy their breeding sites.
It officers have begun their on-the-ground citizen programme to ensure that everyone understands the responsibility they have to dispose of every piece of debris that could hold dew or water in and outside their homes.
During last Friday’s press conference, Chief Medical Officer Shamdeo Persaud had described Zika as a very mild infection that can go unnoticed, as only one in four patients would develop some symptoms.
He noted that signs and symptoms of Zika are very similar to other febrile illnesses and include or are associated with headaches, joint and muscle pains and conjunctivitis while in some rare instances the virus can lead to neuromuscular problems as a sequel in adults.
On the other hand, women who would have been infected during the early stages of pregnancy can have some damage done to the developing foetus, which can result in a neurodevelopmental disorder known as Microcephaly, where the neurological system inclusive of the brain may not develop as it should.
In relation to possible treatment of the virus, Persaud explained that there is no specific anti-viral agent for the treatment of Zika, nor any vaccines available right now, but that work is being done by other countries including Canada to produce a vaccine and subsequently have it tested.
