Zika Virus placed on list of sexually transmitted diseases

The first known case of the Zika virus being sexually transmitted in the US has been reported in Texas.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed a patient was infected in Dallas County.

According to Dallas County officials, the patient was infected after having sexual contact with someone who returned from a country where the mosquito-borne disease is present.  

There is no evidence of Zika being passed on by mosquitoes in the US.

On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Zika virus and its suspected link to birth defects an international public health emergency.                                

Name of community withheld

Three days after it was revealed that a four-year-old resident of Portmore, St. Catherine was confirmed as having the Zika Virus the Health Ministry is not naming the community in which the child lives.

The Ministry believes there could be stigmatisation and a fall out if the area is identified.

JLP disagrees

However, the opposition Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) spokesperson on Health Marlene Malahoo-Forte, says the Health Ministry's decision not to release the name of the community because of a fear of stigmatisation is not good enough.    

The child has since recovered and Health Minister Horace Dalley says no other family member has shown symptoms of the virus.

Addressing a media briefing on the Zika Virus at the Office of the Prime Minister on Tuesday, Dalley said the Ministry has been conducting investigations detect any other case in Portmore or anywhere else in the island.

Local testing for Zika virus

Jamaica will soon have its own facility to test for the ZIKA virus.

Dalley says the upgrade being done to the virology laboratory at the University of the West Indies, Mona, will be completed within three weeks.

He also said has the Ministry allocated $10 million for the upgrade, however, the budget has been exceeded.

Repellents for schools

Minister of Education, Ronald Thwaites, says schools will be provided with repellents to protect children from mosquito bites.

All schools will participate in a National School Clean Up day that will be held on Friday.