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‘CNMI remains zika-free’
According to the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp., the CNMI and Guam are the only islands in the Pacific region that have no reported cases of the zika virus.
Warren Villagomez, CHCC director for Public Health and Hospital Emergency Preparedness Program Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Program, affirmed with Saipan Tribune that there are no cases of zika in the CNMI.
“We are crossing our fingers and are continuing our campaign for prevention. We want to get the community aware to make sure to clean up their surroundings, making sure that there is no stagnant water in their household and areas that are impacted by the community,” said Villagomez.
Zika cases have been reported throughout the region, including American Samoa, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, New Caledonia, Palau, and Papua New Guinea.
Besides contracting the zika virus from an Aedes aegypti mosquito that is infected with the virus, a person could also contract the virus sexually.
The zika virus affects the health of an unborn baby and is known to cause a congenital disease of an abnormally small head, linked to incomplete brain development, medically known as microcephaly.
It is important to note that people infected with the zika virus may have varying degrees of symptoms, with some cases even exhibiting no symptoms at all.
Symptoms of zika include a fever, rash, joint pain, conjunctivitis or red eyes, muscle pain, headache, pain behind the yes, and/or vomiting.
To test for zika, a blood or urine test can confirm the virus’ presence in the body.
Once infected by the virus, people would become immune to the disease.
“We encourage the community to clean up and keep their area and surroundings dry because those are the mosquito-breeding points. We are working closely with the Bureau of Environmental Health. We have staff that are out there monitoring our mosquito traps and make sure we keep our surveillance activities elevated at all times,” said Villagomez.
