Zika Virus Update: Jamaican Women Advised to Delay Pregnancy

The Jamaican Ministry of Health has urged women to delay getting pregnant due to current reports stating the possible connection between the mosquito-borne Zika virus and a birth condition known as microcephaly.

The ministry urged Jamaican women, in a press release, to delay getting pregnant for about six months to one year. The ministry also advised them to take necessary precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes to prevent being infected by Zika virus.

The virus is transmitted through bites from carrier Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes, the same kind that causes dengue fever as well as chikungunya. The ministry also urged Jamaicans to destroy possible mosquito breeding areas.

The ministry urged people to fix broken pipes and outdoor faucets, cut lawn grass and trim shrubs. The people were also advised to clean roof gutters and eaves to prevent any water from settling and becoming a breeding area for mosquitoes.

“Persons should also fill in and drain any low places in the yard where puddles are likely to form following rainfall,” Health Minister Horace Dalley said.

People were also told to use DEET-containing insect repellent and long-sleeved clothing for personal protection against infection.

Jamaica hasn't had any reported case of Zika virus infection, Fox News reported. However, the illness has been spreading in different Caribbean countries such as Barbados and Haiti, as well as South American countries such as Brazil. It is believed that Zika virus caused the brain damage of more than 3,500 babies born in these areas.

As such, Dalley said that it's only a matter of time before the virus makes its way into Jamaica. “[The] virus is inching closer to Jamaica as several of our Caribbean neighbours have reported cases,” he said.

Zika virus was recently reported to have affected female inmates in a Colombia prison. Some of the women who were affected were pregnant.

World Health Organization informed that Zika virus symptoms include mild fever, rashes, headaches, arthralgia, myalgia, asthenia, and non-purulent conjunctivitis. These show up about three to twelve days after being infected by a mosquito bite.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that currently there is no known preventive vaccine or medicine that can treat the virus. As such, prevention is key.

The CDC advises everyone to be cautious in traveling to regions or places where Zika has been confirmed.