Zika Virus in the Philippines

1. Zika Virus in the Philippines

2. Article:
Zika virus is spread to people through mosquito bites. Outbreaks of
Zika have occurred in areas of Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands,
and the Americas. Because the Aedes species mosquitoes that spread
Zika virus are found throughout the world, it is likely that outbreaks will
spread to new countries. In December 2015, Puerto Rico reported its first
confirmed Zika virus case. In May 2015, the Pan American Health
Organization (PAHO) issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika
virus infection in Brazil. The outbreak in Brazil led to reports of Guillain-
Barre syndrome and pregnant women giving birth to babies with birth
defects and poor pregnancy outcomes.
DOH confirms 1st case of Zika infection in PH
A 45-YEAR-OLDmarried woman from Iloilo City who has not traveled
abroad recently has been confirmed to be infected with the Zika virus, the
first reported case in the country since a Zika outbreak hit Singapore last
month.
Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial said the woman first complained
of skin rashes and joint pains without a fever on Aug. 31 and was confined
in a local hospital where her urine and blood specimens were collected.
She was discharged the following day.
“She tested positive for both specimens. Currently, she is at home
recovering from her very mild illness,” Ubial said in a statement.
The confirmatory tests of the samples were conducted at the
Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.
Following the woman’s confirmed case of Zika infection, the
Department of Health (DOH) advised the public to avoid mosquito bites to
protect against Zika and prevent its spread.

3. Increase vigilance
Ubial said those suffering from skin rashes, fever, red eyes or joint
pains, particularly pregnant women, should consult a government health
facility.
“The key to Zika prevention is heightened vigilance and stronger
community efforts of every household,” she said.
Health Undersecretary Gerardo Bayugo said the woman appeared to
have no recent history of travel abroad, particularly to countries where the
virus has been detected.
“The urine test was the first that turned positive. There was a
confirmatory blood test. It was confirmed to be the Zika virus,” he told
reporters in a press conference in Quezon City.
The case was reported to the DOH over the weekend.
“As far as what we have now, we have no evidence that there’s local
transmission in this case,” he said.
The woman’s husband will be tested, to see if he too was infected
since the Zika virus can be transmitted through sexual contact.
The newest infection is the sixth case of Zika in the country since
2012. Five other cases of Zika virus infection had been detected since
then, with four foreigners acquiring the infection from abroad.

4. Conclusion
Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
have concluded, after careful review of existing evidence, that Zika virus is
a cause of microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects. In the report
published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the CDC authors
describe a rigorous weighing of evidence using established scientific
criteria.
“This study marks a turning point in the Zika outbreak. It is now clear
that the virus causes microcephaly. We are also launching further studies
to determine whether children who have microcephaly born to mothers
infected by the Zika virus is the tip of the iceberg of what we could see in
damaging effects on the brain and other developmental problems,” said
Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., director of the CDC. “We’ve now confirmed
what mounting evidence has suggested, affirming our early guidance to
pregnant women and their partners to take steps to avoid Zika infection and
to health care professionals who are talking to patients every day. We are
working to do everything possible to protect the American public.”
Background
The report notes that no single piece of evidence provides conclusive
proof that Zika virus infection is a cause of microcephaly and other fetal
brain defects. Rather, increasing evidence from a number of recently
published studies and a careful evaluation using established scientific
criteria supports the authors’ conclusions.
The finding that Zika virus infection can cause microcephaly and
other severe fetal brain defects means that a woman who is infected with
Zika during pregnancy has an increased risk of having a baby with these
health problems. It does not mean, however, that all women who have Zika
virus infection during pregnancy will have babies with problems. As has
been seen during the current Zika outbreak, some infected women have
delivered babies that appear to be healthy.

5. Establishing this causal relationship between Zika and fetal brain
defectsis an important step in driving additional prevention efforts,focusing
research activities, and reinforcing the need for direct communication about
the risks of Zika. While one important question about causality has been
answered, many questions remain. Answering these will be the focus of
ongoing research to help improve prevention efforts, which ultimately may
help reduce the effects of Zika virus infection during pregnancy.
At this time, CDC is not changing its current guidance as a result of
this finding. Pregnant women should continue to avoid travel to areas
where Zika is actively spreading. If a pregnant woman travels to or lives in
an area with active Zika virus transmission, she should talk with her
healthcare provider and strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites and
to prevent sexual transmission of Zika virus. We also continue to
encourage women and their partners in areas with active Zika transmission
to engage in pregnancy planning and counseling with their health care
providers so that they know the risks and the ways to mitigate them.

6. Recommendation
 Updated interim guidance for pregnant and reproductive age women.
 Updated interim guidance for preventing sexual transmission of Zika.
 Increasing access to contraception in areas with active Zika
transmission.
 Education and training.
 Improved development and use of science and technology for
prevention and detection.
 Strengthened laboratory networks.
 Comprehensive research with partnered government, academic, and
private sectors.
 Enhanced global systems for preventing, detecting, and diagnosing
diseases.