BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE Zika Virus may have reached its peak level as statistics have shown that new cases are on the decline in St. Kitts and Nevis, according to Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Hazel Laws.
The new CMO told SKNVibes that thanks must be given to those individuals at the Health Department for their control of the vectors in both St. Kitts and Nevis.
“What I want to highlight is the fact that we are seeing a reduction in the number of suspected cases of Zika. I would like to commend our environmental officers and the staff at the Health Department for their efforts and hard work in controlling the vectors (the mosquitoes), and we are seeing the results now. We are seeing a decline in the number of cases.”
The Zika Virus was first reported in the Federation in September after positive results were returned from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).
But there were suspected cases and the Government had received heavy criticisms from the Opposition for not making that information public.
Dr. Laws urged citizens to be mindful that the Virus is still in the Federation, while pointing out that there is a need for people to continuously rid their homes of anything that could be used as breeding sites for the Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes.
“We are getting a few showers and if we get a lapse then the population would go up and then we would see an increase in the numbers.”
When asked to provide figures on the number of confirmed cases in the Federation, CMO Laws indicated that “I would not like to concentrate on the numbers”.
“I would just like to say let us look at the vector. If we can get rid of the mosquitoes that carry the virus and the elimination of the virus,” she said.
She pointed out that Health Officials began seeing the decline just over two months ago, adding that the country is heavily dependent on tourism and the reports. “And we would want to show that the number of Zika cases is going down.”
St. Kitts and Nevis is among the last group of countries in the region to confirm cases of the Virus, which can cause mild joint pain and conjunctivitis, among other symptoms.
