2 Zika cases reported in Nickerie District

The Public Health Bureau (BOG) on Monday confirmed that 2 Zika cases have been reported in the Nickerie District which is also referred to as the nation’s rice district. Astracia Warner, head of the Environment Inspection Department at the BOG, pointed out that the number of Zika cases has dropped but that Zika cases are reported every now and then and that the BOG takes all these cases seriously. Now that the rainy season has started, the BOG is urging everybody to remain cautious and to refrain from providing mosquitoes breeding grounds. The BOG aims at preventing people from getting sick which is why everybody is also being urged not to dump garbage in their yards but to bring it to the public dumping site in order to prevent the Aedes Aegyptimuskiet from using yards or other locations as breeding grounds. Residents are also being urged to place a cover on their barrels and other objects that are used to store water. Warner pointed out that the BOG is constantly busy providing information to the people. Residents are being advised to inspect and clean up their yards. According to Warner, it is important for everybody to stay alert and to follow the instructions of the BOG. Zika virus disease is caused by a virus transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes. People with Zika virus disease can have symptoms including mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise or headache. Zika virus has been linked to serious birth defects, including microcephaly, when contracted by expectant mothers during pregnancy. Microcephaly is a birth defect where a baby’s head is smaller than expected when compared to babies of the same sex and age. Babies with microcephaly often have smaller brains that might not have developed properly. Zika virus has been identified in several countries in Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean since 2015. Outbreaks have previously been reported in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands.