St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has not recorded any additional laboratory confirmed cases of the Zika virus since a Union Island woman tested positive for the mosquito borne illness on Feb. 23.
“As of March 1, 2016, this initial case remains the only Laboratory confirmed case here in SVG,” Communications Officer in the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, Neeka Anderson-Isaacs, said in a statement on Wednesday.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Simone Keizer-Beache is encouraging the public to work even more closely with the Ministry in the various activities to clean up SVG and fight the mosquito, which is the source of the problem.
She also reiterated the important measures of source reduction and vector control.
The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment has been officially informed by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that it will be placed on the CDC Travel watch list.
The CDC has indicated that they will update their Travel Notice website to include among the areas listed as having Zika virus in circulation.
The travel notice is currently at Watch-Level 2, which calls for “enhanced precautions.”
Special precautions are recommended for pregnant women, who are advised to consider postponing travel, and for women of childbearing age who are planning to become pregnant, who are advised to consult with their doctor before traveling.
All travelers are urged to, as usual, strictly adhere to mosquito bite precautions.
The Ministry said it will continue to monitor the situation and will keep the nation apprised of all information as it unfolds.
It also reminded residents that their health is a shared responsibility and that each citizen must all do his or her part to minimise the impact of Zika virus on SVG.