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DOH advises pregnant women to postpone Iloilo trip’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MERIANNE GRACE EREÑETA
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ILOILO City – While the Department of Health (DOH) did not discount the possibility of uncovering more Zika virus infections in the country, it said those traveling to Iloilo have a fairly low risk of being infected.
Only one village in the region – Barangay Benedicto in Jaro, Iloilo City – has been confirmed to have Zika. Three of its residents tested positive for the virus but they’re all on their way to recovery.
Still, DOH Region 6 urged travelers and residents of the region to be cautious. The Zika virus is transmitted by the day-biting Aedes mosquitoes that live and breed in clear, stagnant water.
Dr. Marlyn Convocar, DOH regional director, said travelers exhibiting Zika-like symptoms two to seven days after having been to Iloilo should see a doctor.
Symptoms of Zika infection include skin rashes, fever, redness of the eyes, and joint pains.
Zika is prompting worldwide concern because of its connection to a neurological birth disorder – microcephaly – and its rapid spread across the globe.
Travelers must avoid exposing their skin; they should instead wear light-colored long-sleeved shirts and long pants, a DOH advisory stated.
“Mosquitoes are attracted to darkness and dark clothes,” explained Convocar.
Travelers are also advised to use mosquito repellants.
Rooms must have screens to keep mosquitoes out, stressed DOH, and containers with stagnant water must be drained.
DOH advised pregnant women in any trimester to consider postponing travel to Iloilo.
Zika virus can be passed by pregnant women to her fetus. In Brazil where Zika infections are prevalent, pregnant women bore children with microcephaly or small heads; the condition can result to developmental issues in newborns.
On Sept. 5, DOH confirmed that a 45-year-old married woman from Barangay Benedicto tested positive for the Zika virus. The Ilongga was the sixth laboratory-confirmed case in the Philippines since 2012 and the first case of local transmission.
Two members of her household also tested positive for the virus.
Travelers with Zika-like symptoms may take acetaminophen (paracetamol) to relieve fever or pain, but not aspirin or products containing aspirin, said Convocar.
Getting enough sleep and drinking plenty of liquid is a must, she added.
Although Zika virus is not as fatal as dengue, the public should be vigilant but not to the point that they will panic, she said.
“Mas grabe ‘ya ang dengue sa Zika eh, unless you are pregnant,” said Convocar.
On Friday, DOH conducted indoor residual spraying (IRS) in the hope of eradicating Aedes mosquitoes and halting the spread of the Zika virus.
IRS is the application of long-acting chemical insecticides on the walls and roofs of houses and domestic animal shelters in a given area to kill the adult vector mosquitoes that land and rest on these surfaces./PN
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