Georgetown : Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Shamdeo Persaud said the hinterland has to be treated the say way as the coastland with regards vector control because once persons travel, vector-borne diseases will, as well.
The CMO said “the built up areas in the hinterland like Port Kaituma, Mahdia and so on have only been treated for dengue and malaria, but these areas do breed the Aedes (Aegypti) mosquito, although they have not been mapped.”
The Aedes mosquito is responsible for the spread of a number of viruses including Zika that is affecting about 30 countries of the western hemisphere.
Due to the presence of the mosquito, these areas must now be treated like the Coastland because there is a possibility that vector borne illnesses such as these can make their way there, Dr. Persaud added.
During a recent meeting with Hinterland Regional Health Officers, the CMO encouraged greater emphasis on vector control measures. Dr. Shamdeo added that, “Humans are the carriers of these diseases; the mosquitoes are only the transmitter. A mosquito will not leave Berbice and fly to Essequibo to bite someone, but humans travel which allows infections to travel too…This is why we must treat the hinterland like the coastland!”
Prevention activities for the Zika virus continue countrywide. Over 5000 chemically treated bed nets have been distributed, while an additional 75,000 are available for distribution.
The Public Health Ministry continues to monitor ports of entry countrywide for the virus. Meanwhile, the Vector Control Services (VCS) is fogging for vectors in several communities. One Medical Technician is currently undergoing training at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in Trinidad and Tobago to operate the equipment already in place at the National public Health Reference Laboratory (NPHRL) to test for vector borne diseases.
Thus far, there have been five confirmed cases of the Zika infection in Guyana, with over 80 suspected cases. The virus has only been reported on the East Bank of Demerara.
Signs of the illness include fever, headache, joint and muscle pain, rash and sometimes swelling of the limbs. Some persons may also experience vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Individuals are encouraged to take precautionary measures such as the use of insect repellants, mosquito treated nets, long sleeve clothing to avoid the contraction of Zika along with any other vector related illnesses. Household insecticidal sprays, coils, candles, screening of windows, doors and other openings can also aid in reduction of mosquitoes in the home.
