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Prevent mozzie breeding to keep out Zika

12 Jul 2021

  • Conducive environment for ‘Aedes’ daytime mosquitoes: Health Ministry 
By Buddhika Samaraweera The Health Ministry has urged the public to pay attention, in particular, towards protection from mosquitoes, as the environment in Sri Lanka is conducive for the transmission of the Zika virus. The Zika virus is transmitted primarily by the Aedes mosquitoes, which bite during the daytime. When contacted by The Morning, Health Ministry Communications Director, Public Health Services Deputy Director General, and Disaster Preparedness and Response Division Head Dr. Hemantha Herath said that there is a possibility of this virus entering the country. “There is an environment in which it can spread in Sri Lanka; therefore, we need to be careful, especially against mosquitoes,” he added. Meanwhile, when contacted by The Morning, Professor and Consultant in Clinical Immunology and Allergy Prof. Suranjith L. Seneviratne said that the Zika virus infection is caused by a virus transmitted primarily by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which bite during the daytime. In addition, he said that the Zika virus could rarely be transmitted through sexual contact or blood transfusions. Prof. Seneviratne is attached to the Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, Royal Free Hospital, and University College London, United Kingdom, and is the Consultant Speciality Lead of Immunology at the Health Services Laboratories. He added that the symptoms of this virus are generally mild and include fever, rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise, or headache while many of those with the Zika virus infection may not develop symptoms. Prof. Seneviratne also added that when pregnant mothers are infected with the Dengue virus which is spread by the same mosquito that spreads Zika, it is less likely to go across the placenta and harm the growing baby. “However, the Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause infants to be born with microcephaly (where the size of the newborn baby’s head is smaller because of poor brain development) and other congenital malformations, known as congenital Zika syndrome,” he elaborated. Adding that there are no specific antiviral medicines or vaccines available for the Zika virus infection, he noted that general measures are used in patients with the Zika virus infection such as getting plenty of rest (whilst the immune system tries to get the virus under control), drinking lots of fluid, and treating the fever and body aches and pain with paracetamol. He stressed that medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as aspirin, diclofenac sodium, ibuprofen) should be avoided and not given to such patients. He also said that some Zika vaccines trials are ongoing in South America. Prof. Seneviratne explained that therefore, Sri Lanka should also be vigilant and eradicate mosquito breeding grounds as several cases of suspected Zika virus infection have recently been reported from Kerala in India. The Zika virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in monkeys. It was later identified in humans in 1952 in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. The first recorded outbreak of the Zika virus disease was reported from the Island of Yap (the Federated States of Micronesia) in 2007. In July 2015, it was found to be associated with the Guillain-Barré syndrome. To date, a total of 86 countries and territories have reported evidence of mosquito-transmitted Zika infection.  


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