Providenciales, 15 Dec 2015 – Jamaica’s Health Minister is calling for Jamaicans to safeguard themselves from the newest mosquito borne virus, Zika.
Ten countries in the Americas and the Caribbean are trying to fend off the disease which is also spread by the Aedes mosquito.
Nearby Dominican Republic, Brazil, Chile (Easter Island), Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname and Venezuela have all recorded the virus; Jamaica is on high alert.
CARPHA has put the region on alert too, but there have been no official warnings from TCI Ministry of Health.
Some symptoms are rash, fever, joint pain and conjunctivitis aka, pink eye.
The World Health Organization says the virus has also been linked to birth defects in unborn babies.
