No case of Zika virus in St. Kitts-Nevis
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - WITH no confirmed cases of the Zika virus in the Federation to date, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Patrick Martin is urging residents to cover all toilet tanks and pipes leading from their septic tanks.
This announcement resulted from the discovery of Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes found to be breeding in toilets tanks.
The discovery is groundbreaking because the mosquitoes were only thought to be breeding in stagnant water in dark areas of homes, but speaking with SKNVibes the CMO noted that this is now a concern.
“We have found mosquitoes that carry Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika, are breeding in septic tanks. They also breathe in toilet bowls and tanks, so we are asking people to cover their vent pipes with mesh wires so that they can’t get in.”
St. Kitts and Nevis is one of a few countries in the region that has not had a confirmed case of the virus since the epidemic broke earlier this year.
Over 100 countries around the world have recently reported that they had detected at least one case of the virus; a virus that has severely affected a number of South, Latin and Central American nations.
The Zika virus, which broke last year after being dormant for many years, is known for providing infected persons with fever, rash, joint pain and in some cases conjunctivitis (red eyes).
Dr. Martin recommended that citizens and residents should use wire mesh to cover those open pipes to their toilets and septic tanks to minimize breed areas for the mosquitoes.
Additionally, the Zika virus is known for providing microcephaly birth; that is, small heads in newborns or the abnormal growth of the brains in babies.
Brazil is said to be the epicentre of the Zika virus, which has infected thousands of people living in the South American country, with a number of microcephaly births on record.
Dr. Martin and other health officials in St. Kitts and Nevis are urging citizens and residents to the throw away old containers and other materials that are likely breeding grounds for the mosquitoes.
