Cameroon pre-empts any infections from Zika virus

No cases of infections from the Zika virus has been reported in Cameroon, the representative of the World Health Organisation, Dr Jean Baptiste Roungou announced during a meeting with Health professional to raise awareness on the disease.

The Yaounde meeting presided over by the Minister of Public Health Andre Mama Fouda was an occasion to present Cameroon’s riposte strategy and emergency measures in the situation where a case is suspected.

Public Health Minister Andre Mama Fouda noted that although the virus is not yet in the country preventive and response mechanisms have already been put in place.

He said all major ports of entry into the country are under surveillance, the National Emergency response Centre is upgraded to measure the scale of the disease and has been equipped to handle any suspected cases while the Centre Pasteur Medical Laboratory is set to diagnosis any suspected cases.

Health experts explained that unlike the female anopheles mosquito the spreads malaria that bits from 6 pm, the Aedes Aeygpti mosquito that is a vector of the zika virus bits during the day and at night. The Aedes mosquito species also spreads chikungunia, yellow fever and dengue fever and the mosquito is widespread in Africa, Asia and parts of Central and South Africa where several cases have been reported.

The magnitude of the spread of the virus notwithstanding, professionals say it does not generally kill and treatment is symptomatic.

The professionals from the Ministry of Public Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended preventive measures especially to pregnant women who are the most vulnerable group as the virus is likely to damage the fetus.

Dr Omer Pasi, Country Director for the Centre for Disease Control, said it is not yet clear if the virus is responsible for the a rise in microcephaly which is the deformation of the fetus leading to babies with enlarged heads.

However, wearing long clothing that covers the entire body, placing nets around windows and doors to reduce the mosquito population and sleeping under treated mosquito nets are essential preventive tips. In this regard, WHO officials saluted Cameroon's initiative to distribute long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito bed nets.

Proper Drainage and disposal of objects that can leave standing water which could serve as breeding ground for mosquito was also recommended.

It

is worth recalling that the Zika virus was named after the Zika forest in Uganda where it was found.