DOH-Bicol Goes Full Blast Vs Zika Virus With 4S Campaign

The Department of Health (DOH) Bicol regional office has gone all out with its 4S campaign to prevent the proliferation of mosquito-borne diseases, especially the Zika virus in the Philippines.

The virus has reportedly already spread in several countries across the globe.

In line with Health Secretary Janette P. Loreto-Garin’s nationwide warning, the DOH-Bicol has launched its 4S campaign, which means search and destroy, self-protection measures, seek early consultation and say “yes” to fogging when there is an impending outbreak.

“There is a need for vigilance among Bicolanos in initiating measures to eliminate the virus’ vector—Aedes mosquitoes—and complete awareness of precautionary means to avoid being afflicted by the viral disease,” DOH assistant regional director Napoleon Arevalo on Friday said.

In a national advisory issued over the week, Garin enjoined Filipinos to actively participate in measures to eliminate carrier-mosquitoes and their breeding places to prevent the spread among communities and possible Zika virus infection of individuals.

The advisory, according to Arevalo, was in reiteration of the previous warnings issued following a report from US-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that an adult female American resident was confirmed positive to Zika virus after her four-week travel in the Philippines last January.

“The public must be constantly reminded to be vigilant and pre-cautious in eliminating mosquito breeding places,” Garin added.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) also started the Strategic Response Framework1, a global prevention and control strategy which focuses on surveillance, response activities and research, and situation report.

The said framework is expected to be updated at the end of March to further enlighten certain epidemiological evidence and evolve division of roles and responsibilities for tackling the said emergency.

According to the report of the WHO, Zika virus carried by the mosquito Aedes aegypti increases the chance for microcephaly and neonatal malformations for the baby inside a pregnant woman.

Within 2015 and 2016, eight countries and territories have already reported an increased incidence of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and laboratory confirmation of a Zika virus infection among GBS cases.

However, as WHO furthered its studies about the disease, it is later found out that from January 2007 to March 3, 2016, Zika virus transmission has already spread in a total of 55 countries and territories in the world.

Included in those numbers are six countries with indirect evidence of viral circulation, five countries with reported terminated outbreaks and three countries with a locally acquired infection believed to be transferred through sexual contact.

Since the dengue carrying mosquito has similar characteristics with that carrying zika virus, DOH said that 4s will contribute a great help in the prevention of Zika virus as its tracks down the foreign tourist who has reported to have traveled in the Philippines carrying the disease.(PNA) FFC/FGS/SAC/CBD