Since November of last year, we have been reporting extensively on the Zika virus. As we told you, the presence of Zika has been confirmed in all neighboring countries, but not in Belize. Well, all that has changed because the Centers for Disease Control sent out a Zika travel notice today - putting Belize on the map of countries reporting active Zika mosquito transmission.
It's troubling news for Belize, but the Ministry of Health isn't taking the CDC's word for it. Health CEO Ramon Figueroa told us that they knew this travel advisory would be released but that they will await the test results from CARPHA before they confirm that there are Zika cases in Belize. Figueroa says they remain vigilant and have sent 5 more samples to CARPHA this week.
Now, Zika isn't as severe as, say…dengue. The symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes, and, in most cases, the illness is mild with symptoms lasting less than a week.
But the real worry with Zika is its link to birth defects. The Centers for Disease Control confirms the link between Zika and Microcephaly - which refers to baby;s born with under-developed brains. The health bulletin says, quote, "The CDC has concluded that the Zika virus is a cause of microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects." But Zika does not only affect babies it also causes health defects in adults. The release continues "Zika may also be linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome. This syndrome causes the body's immune system to attack the nerves - so basically the body fights itself which eventually leads to paralysis and other major complications."
The CDC says it has already confirmed the presence of the Zika virus in a woman who traveled only to Belize from the 14th to the 19th of March, 2016. Again, the Ministry of Health says it will await the outcome of its own tests.
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