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BEWARE OF ZIKA

Sep 23, 2016 Editorial, Features / Columnists

The Zika virus has landed in Guyana and is likely to spread if firm action is not taken by the government to eradicate it. Since the Zika virus was discovered in Guyana, health officials have warned the nation about the threat of the virus and the potential danger it posed.
It is another mosquito borne disease. During the rainy season, mosquitoes often multiply exponentially, hence their capacity for mayhem increases significantly.
A survey done by a British Company two years ago placed mosquitos as the number one worldwide killers of people. The survey reveals that mosquitoes are more dangerous than sharks, crocodiles, snakes, lions, rabid dogs and any other dangerous species on earth. While human beings are said to be responsible for the deaths of about 650,000 of their own kind annually, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that mosquitos kill at least one million people across the globe every year.
The WHO also stated that between 300 and 500 million cases of malaria occur each year in Africa and other developing countries because of mosquitos, and that a child dies from malaria every 30 seconds.
Studies show that mosquitos have outnumbered every other species on planet earth other than ants and termites. They are found in every corner of the earth other than the Antarctica. Although their life span is short, one mosquito can infect about 100 persons before it dies. Mosquitoes are known for carrying viruses, some more deadly than others, and are arguably the most dangerous silent assassins on earth.
Unfortunately, mosquitoes do not differentiate between who dumps illegally and who properly disposes of their waste. They do not discriminate between the householder who practices excellent domestic hygiene and those who believe in filth and keep their surrounding dirty. Despite the danger posed by mosquitoes, people throw empty containers in their yards, on the streets, in gullies and everywhere else.
Many neglect their empty flower pots, others leave vehicle tyres unattended, and some place garbage containers outside their homes, ignoring the fact they provide a refuse for mosquitos to breed and spread their virus.
And there are contractors who excavate sites and leave them for protracted periods of time to collect water and become sanctuaries for killer mosquitoes before attending to them.
It is incumbent on citizens to take precautionary measures to help decrease the number of viruses spread by mosquitos every year. State leadership is urgently needed in this scenario, but the government tends to react very slowly to issues affecting the people and the outbreak of a mosquito-borne virus.
Its approach is similar to the outbreak of the chikungunya virus which wreaked havoc on the nation before it was brought under control with assistance from the WHO.
The outbreak of the chikungunya virus caught the last government by surprise, therefore, one would have thought that this administration would have developed a comprehensive health strategy to combat mosquito virus such as the ZIKA virus, but it did not. There are many confirmed cases of the Zika virus in Guyana. And the people are concerned that the Vector Control Services Unit at the Ministry of Public Health, which is responsible for implementing measures to contain the virus, might not be capable of preventing it from spreading.
Their biggest worry is the damaging effects of the virus on babies developing in the womb. While there is no known preventive methods, people are asked to cover exposed skin, use insect repellants and keep their surroundings clean. It is a heart-rending situation, especially for pregnant mothers who are at risk.
Based on the poor response to the chikungunya virus a little over a year ago, the Ministry of Health should rethink its strategy on the dangers posed by mosquito borne viruses. Or else, it will not be the mosquitoes alone that will be responsible for most of the deaths caused by mosquito-borne viruses; it would definitely be us, who must also have to share the responsibility.

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