DOH 7 Exec Says No Confirmed Zika Case in Central Visayas

There are no confirmed Zika virus cases in Central Visayas, a Department of Health (DOH) 7 official said Tuesday.

But Dr. Van Phillip Baton, DOH Central Visayas Zika virus coordinator, urged the public to be extra vigilant against Zika, saying the virus may spread locally with the recent confirmed case in Iloilo City.

Baton urged communities to practice the 4S (Search and Destroy, Self-Protection, Seek Medical Attention and Say No to Indiscriminate Fogging), and other programs in place that focus on eliminating the breeding sites of mosquitoes.

Zika virus, just like dengue, is carried by the aedes aegypti mosquito.

Baton said that with the recent confirmed case in Iloilo City, there is now a probability the virus can spread locally and no longer needs virus carriers from Zika-infected countries.

He said a patient with Zika will not die from the virus, but its effects will be felt once that patient has sexual contact with another person. (PNA) LAP/EB/EDS