Zika now in Cebu

Health officials have same advice in anti-dengue drive: Stay clean

A Cebu City resident who was admitted 3 days ago for fever and joint pains was confirmed to have the Zika virus, but was well enough yesterday to be discharged, DOH 7 official says Zika’s symptoms include mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivis or pinkeye, muscle and joint pains, and headaches, which last for 2 to 7 days

A22-YEAR-OLD woman from Cebu City is one of six persons confirmed to have fallen ill with the Zika virus this year, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

All six had no history of travel to other countries a month before they fell ill.

Health officials in Cebu asked the public to stay calm, keep their surroundings clean, and get rid of places where mosquitoes can breed, basically the same strategies communities have taken to prevent dengue fever.

“Magbantay lang gyud, dili lang magkompiyansa. Ang last ra ba kay sa Iloilo (City), unya karon, naa na diri (Always be vigilant, don’t be complacent. The most recent reported case [earlier this month] was in Iloilo City and now it’s here. Prevention is always important,” said Dr. Alma Corpin, officer-in-charge of the Cebu City Health Department (CHD).

In a statement on the agency’s official website, Dr. Eric Tayag, DOH spokesperson, said that initial and con-

firmatory tests were conducted on the patients in the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Manila.

Aside from the 22-yearold woman from Cebu City, four of the latest cases are from Iloilo City and one is from Laguna, said Dr. Tayag.

All six individuals fell ill after being bitten by mosquitoes, and exhibited symptoms such as skin rashes and joint pains.

With the six new cases, the number of confirmed Zika cases in the country has risen to nine.

In a GMA 7 Balitang Bisdak report yesterday, DOH 7 Director Jaime Bernadas said that the 22-year-old woman from Cebu City was diagnosed after she was admitted for fever and joint pains three days ago.

As of yesterday, she was released from the hospital and is now recuperating at home, Bernadas said.

He urged the public to not panic as symptoms of Zika are not fatal and often subside after three days if treated immediately.

He also urged communities to keep up precautions against dengue, such as the “4S strategy.” That means search and destroy sites where mosquitoes breed; use self-protection (such as by using insect repellents and wearing long-sleeved tops with long pants); seek early medical consultation; and “say yes to fogging when there is an impending outbreak.”

According to the World Health Organization, the Zika virus is transmitted primarily by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, the same carrier of the dengue fever, chikungunya and yellow fever.

People with Zika can have symptoms like mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivis, muscle and joint pains, and headaches, which last for two to seven days.

First observed in Latin America, the virus was blamed for the increasing number of infants with congenital microcephaly and other unusual birth defects.

While there is still no specific treatment or vaccination, those who are afflicted can recover with plenty of rest and fluids.