Caribbean wary of another mosquito-borne illness

Caribbean health ministers are keeping a close eye on a
winged insect that could spell trouble if not eradicated.

Last year, the bite of an infected Aedes Aegypt mosquito
caused an outbreak of chikungunya (Chic V) virus that spread throughout many
islands in the region.

The bite caused severe joint pain that, in some cases,
lasted weeks and months.

This year the same insect is transmitting the Zika virus.
Victims may suffer mild to moderate symptoms, including fever, headache, rash
and muscle and joint pain. 

As in Chic V, there is no vaccine to treat the virus once
transmitted.

The virus has spread from Africa to the Americas with 15
cases confirmed in Brazil and one each in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

The Zika virus is named after the Ugandan forest where it
was first identified in 1947, according to the European Centre for Disease
Prevention and Control.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Health has issued a public
advisory, warning residents to be aware of the virus and to empty containers of
standing water, a typical breeding site.

“We have to vigilant in eradicating the mosquito from
our yards and homes,” said Clive Tilluckdharry, principal medical
officer  in environmental health in
Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Health.

Jamaica has implemented a five-point control program that
includes fining people who fail to follow precautions regarding the removal of
breeding sites.

Health officials in the British Virgin Islands and St. Kitts
and Nevis also asked the public to be vigilant by inspecting their premises for
mosquito breeding sites.