Cuba confirms second case of Zika

CUBA on Friday confirmed a second imported case of Zika virus involving a Cuban nurse who had just returned from a mission in Venezuela.

The Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) disclosed that the virus had been detected in a Cuban nurse aged 51, a resident of the city of Manzanillo in Granma Province.

The nurse was part of the Cuban medical brigade stationed in Táchira, Venezuela, but returned to Cuba on February 23.

“The patient began to experience an itchy rash and swelling and pain in her left hand that same day. On the 25th she was admitted to the Celia Sánchez Manduley Hospital, where a test for the Zika virus was taken and sent to the Pedro Kouri Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK) [in Havana],” stated the MINSAP. “From the very beginning, all epidemiological and vector control measures established for such cases were undertaken. On March 2, the IPK laboratory confirmed that the Real-Time PCR test conducted on admittance to hospital had proven positive for the Zika virus. The patient is at present asymptomatic and showing signs of good health.”

The first Zika case was reported on Wednesday involving a Venezuelan medical student studying in Cuba.

“The first imported case of Zika virus has been detected in a 28-year-old Venezuelan doctor from the state of Aragua, who arrived to the country on February 21, 2016 to begin postgraduate studies in gastroenterology and was staying at the Machurrucutu student residence in the municipality of Bauta, Artemisa Province, together with 37 other doctors. All individuals have been quarantined for epidemiological surveillance,” the ministry indicated.

Zika has affected 32 countries of the Western Hemisphere, which includes the US.
On February 22, President Raul Castro announced the deployment of 9,200 soldiers to help in clean up and fumigation to prevent the spread of Zika.

Since then extreme vigilance and measures to combat mosquitoes are defining efforts by Cuban health authorities in the campaign to prevent the spread of viruses transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito (including Zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever). Cuba now examines all individuals suffering from non-specific fever. The government has also announced strengthening of controls at entry and exit points to the country as well as airports.

The authorities say, “28 imported cases of chikungunya were detected in 2015, while reports of dengue were registered in 55 municipalities, predominantly in the most densely populated zones across the island’s 15 provinces, demonstrating the high risk of infection to the population.”

Authorities also reported that although Cuba had been working intensely over the last month to eradicate the aedes aegypti mosquito, “unsatisfactory fumigation efforts, adverse environmental and weather conditions and a lack of cooperation by the population, have contributed to continuing high levels of infestation.”

CUBA on Friday confirmed a second imported case of Zika virus involving a Cuban nurse who had just returned from a mission in Venezuela.

The Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) disclosed that the virus had been detected in a Cuban nurse aged 51, a resident of the city of Manzanillo in Granma Province.

The nurse was part of the Cuban medical brigade stationed in Táchira, Venezuela, but returned to Cuba on February 23.

“The patient began to experience an itchy rash and swelling and pain in her left hand that same day. On the 25th she was admitted to the Celia Sánchez Manduley Hospital, where a test for the Zika virus was taken and sent to the Pedro Kouri Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK) [in Havana],” stated the MINSAP. “From the very beginning, all epidemiological and vector control measures established for such cases were undertaken. On March 2, the IPK laboratory confirmed that the Real-Time PCR test conducted on admittance to hospital had proven positive for the Zika virus. The patient is at present asymptomatic and showing signs of good health.”

The first Zika case was reported on Wednesday involving a Venezuelan medical student studying in Cuba.

“The first imported case of Zika virus has been detected in a 28-year-old Venezuelan doctor from the state of Aragua, who arrived to the country on February 21, 2016 to begin postgraduate studies in gastroenterology and was staying at the Machurrucutu student residence in the municipality of Bauta, Artemisa Province, together with 37 other doctors. All individuals have been quarantined for epidemiological surveillance,” the ministry indicated.

Zika has affected 32 countries of the Western Hemisphere, which includes the US.
On February 22, President Raul Castro announced the deployment of 9,200 soldiers to help in clean up and fumigation to prevent the spread of Zika.

Since then extreme vigilance and measures to combat mosquitoes are defining efforts by Cuban health authorities in the campaign to prevent the spread of viruses transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito (including Zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever). Cuba now examines all individuals suffering from non-specific fever. The government has also announced strengthening of controls at entry and exit points to the country as well as airports.

The authorities say, “28 imported cases of chikungunya were detected in 2015, while reports of dengue were registered in 55 municipalities, predominantly in the most densely populated zones across the island’s 15 provinces, demonstrating the high risk of infection to the population.”

Authorities also reported that although Cuba had been working intensely over the last month to eradicate the aedes aegypti mosquito, “unsatisfactory fumigation efforts, adverse environmental and weather conditions and a lack of cooperation by the population, have contributed to continuing high levels of infestation.”

- See more at: http://www.postzambia.com/news.php?id=16314#sthash.z01RWxQD.dpuf