We must keep Zika at bay
Zika virus which is presently spreading very fast in Latin America has become the next international health emergency and we in Nigeria and Africa must get prepared for it. The disease has already affected 4000 people in Brazil and many people in 20 countries other countries and it is still spreading. On Monday the World […]
Zika virus which is presently spreading very fast in Latin America has become the next international health emergency and we in Nigeria and Africa must get prepared for it. The disease has already affected 4000 people in Brazil and many people in 20 countries other countries and it is still spreading.
On Monday the World Health organization [WHO] put Zika in the same category of concern as Ebola and called for a joint international response.
WHO’s Director General Margaret Chan called Zika an “extraordinary event” that needed a coordinated response. She said, “I am now declaring that the recent cluster of microcephaly and other neurological abnormalities reported in Latin America following a similar cluster in French Polynesia in 2014 constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.” She said the priorities are to protect pregnant women and their babies from harm and to control the mosquitoes that are spreading the virus.
Zika virus infection has been linked to cases of microcephaly in which babies are born with underdeveloped brains. Reports say over four million people are likely to be infected with the virus in the next one year and that it is likely to spread to all of the Americas. Zika virus was first identified in rhesus monkeys in Uganda in 1947. It was subsequently identified in humans in Uganda and in Tanzania in 1952. Outbreaks of Zika virus have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific. Though there were outbreaks in French Polynesia and Brazil in 2013 and 2015 respectively, its spread was not as much as is the case now.
The most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week. Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon. At the moment there is no vaccine or known treatment for the disease. President of Brazil and US authorities have been actively engaged in efforts to curtail the virus’ spread. Minister of Health Professor Isaac Adewole has advised Nigerians who recently travelled to Latin America to be vigilant and to promptly report any case of unexplained fever that lasts more than 48 hours. He also directed the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to include Zika virus diagnosis as part of ongoing efforts to manage Lassa fever outbreak in the country.
In the past two years this country has witnessed outbreaks of diseases such as Ebola and Lassa, not to mention bird flu which has become a recurring health issue. A lot needs to be done by the Center for Disease Control. It must rise to the challenge and engage in proactive researches; we do not have to wait for these outbreaks. At the moment there is only one center for diagnosis, which is not good enough. More should be set up and adequately funded. Medical experts must be ahead and be able to issue appropriate warnings.
Though there is no outbreak of Zika virus in Nigeria yet, it is worrisome that the vector, mosquito, is very common in our environment. This country has been battling malaria which is also spread by mosquito. While medical experts are searching for a vaccine or a cure for Zika and malaria, it becomes necessary for us to step up the effort to control mosquito.
This will not be a new effort because over several decades we have tried many things from insecticides to the use of treated mosquito nets in order to control this dangerous insect. We slackened on the effort over the years and it is now coming back to haunt it. Luckily, it is an area we know quite well. The authorities should take a lead and we should all follow in a renewed, all out fight against mosquito. At all costs we must keep out the Zika virus.