Travel advisory on Zika virus from the Department of Health
JOBURG – Zika virus has not to date been found further south than Uganda in Africa.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the recent cluster of microcephaly cases and other neurologic disasters associated with Zika virus that have been reported in Brazil and other southern American countries a public health emergency of international concern.
Zika virus is implicated in causing microcephaly, which is babies born with smaller than normal heads as well as mental and growth abnormalities in babies born to mothers that were infected with the virus during pregnancy.
The key concern to South Africa is the risk posed to pregnant women travelling to infected countries. There is neither a vaccine or specific treatment available. The Department of Health recommends that all pregnant women consider postponing their travelling to areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing. If a pregnant woman travels to an area with the virus, she is advised to strictly follow steps to avoid mosquito bites.
Zika is transmitted to humans by certain daytime-active aedes aegypti mosquitoes. These mosquitoes are also important in transmitting viruses such as dengue , yellow fever and chikungunya viruses in certain settings.
Symptoms of Zika virus are usually mild and include an acute onset of fever, rash, joint and muscle pain, conjunctivitis and headache. About one in four infected people show symptoms and these may persist for two to seven days.
Severe disease requiring hospitalisation is rare and to date, no deaths due to Zika have been reported. Treatment is nonspecific and supportive. It is important to emphasise that Zika virus has not to date been found further south than Uganda in Africa. There may well be imported cases of Zika in travellers returning to South Africa but they do not pose any risk to the local population.
These viruses are not contagious and usually require the assistance of a mosquito vector between hosts. Testing for the Zika virus is available at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and will be performed only on returning travellers with an illness compatible with Zika. Laboratory testing will be offered to all pregnant women who have travelled to an area with a current outbreak of Zika.
Related articles:
WHO launches $56 mn Zika response plan
