Tonga registers one case of Zika Virus [1]
Saturday, January 30, 2016 - 17:53. Updated on Saturday, January 30, 2016 - 17:54.
No further cases of the Zika virus had been identified, two weeks after it was confirmed that Tonga had its first Zika virus case, said Tonga’s Director of Health, Dr Siale ‘Akau'ola on Friday 29 January.
He said the Ministry of Health was continuing to send samples to New Zealand to test for Zika, to keep tabs on the spread of the virus, but meanwhile, Tonga's Zika virus cases remained at one.
Dr 'Akau'ola warned the public that it would be very easy for an infected person to ignore some of the symptoms of the virus, which is a light fever, a rash and red eyes. But the most devastating impact of the Zika virus is on pregnant women and the infection interferes with the development of the brain and the head of an unborn baby.
He advised the public to be aware of the symptoms of the Zika virus and people should report to the nearest health centres if they think that they are affected by the virus.
Meanwhile, to stop the spread of the virus the Ministry of Health has launched a clean-up campaign to destroy mosquitoes breeding places and to clean up homes and public places.
Dr 'Akau'ola said that the Zika virus had been found in some Pacific islands such as Tahiti, the Solomon Islands for a few years. The closest to Tonga that it had been identified was Samoa.
Zika virus is transmitted to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. These are the same mosquitoes that spread dengue and chikungunya viruses.