THE Department of Health (DOH)-Zamboanga Peninsula (Western Mindanao) launched Task Force Zika to oversee the prevention programs against the disease in the region.
Dr. Lenny Joy Johnson, DOH-Zamboanga Peninsula (Western Mindanao) local health support division officer-in-charge, said the composition of the task force included medical personnel of the DOH regional office and other stakeholders.
Johnson said the task force will conduct advocacy and surveillance against Zika and treatment if and when there is a positive case of the disease.
He said the advocacy is focused on the 4S strategy which includes the following: search and destroy; self protection; seek early consultation; and, say yes to fogging only during outbreak.
Zika virus infection is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a flavivirus that usually occurs in tropical countries with large mosquito population.
It is transmitted to people through the bite of an infected mosquito from the Aedes genus, mainly Aedes aegypti in urban areas and Aedes albopictus in rural areas.
Signs and symptoms of the virus include: fever, conjunctivitis, skin rash, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, pain behind the eyes, and vomiting.
The illness is usually mild and self-limiting with symptoms lasting for two to seven days.
Complications brought by Zika are Guillain-Barre’ syndrome, which is the sudden weakening of muscles and neonatal malformation, a microcephaly condition where a baby’s head is smaller than those of other babies of the same age and sex. (Bong Garcia/Sunnex)