US woman gets Zika after Philippine visit

MANILA, Philippines – An American woman who stayed in the Philippines for four weeks earlier this year was diagnosed with Zika virus upon her return to the United States, the Department of Health (DOH) reported yesterday.

Health Secretary Janette Garin said the woman visited the Philippines last January and was later confirmed positive for the virus.

“We were informed that shortly after returning home to the US, an evidence of Zika virus infection was detected in the patient,” Garin said.

The patient was not pregnant when she contracted the virus.

Garin said the DOH is coordinating with the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for the profile of the patient and to find out the places she visited in the Philippines.

Although there is no vaccine against the virus, medical experts said the symptoms of Zika could be treated with common pain and fever medicines, rest, and plenty of water intake.

The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), Garin said, is capable of testing suspected cases of Zika virus through Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT PCR).

Zika viral disease is characterized by fever, rash, conjunctivitis, joint pain, muscle pain, headache and vomiting.

Although most infected individuals are asymptomatic or do not manifest any symptoms, Garin said patients still have the capability of transmitting the infection.

Zika virus is usually transmitted through the bite of an infected female Aedes mosquito, the same mosquito that transmits dengue and chikungunya. There were also reports that the virus could be transmitted through sexual contact and blood transfusion.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 55 countries and territories that have reported local Zika transmission from January 2007 to March 3.

The DOH said Zika infection is self-limiting most of the time but its effect on pregnancies could not be discounted.

Zika virus has been linked to congenital CNS malformation like microcephaly.

The DOH had advised pregnant women to avoid mosquito bites especially during daytime and for those suffering from fever, rash, and conjunctivitis to consult a doctor immediately.

A case of Zika virus was documented in Cebu City in 2012 but no other case has since been reported. Government health experts said the best way to fight Zika virus is to observe personal hygiene and sanitation as well as eliminate possible breeding sites of mosquitoes.

Garin assured the people that there is no Zika virus epidemic in the country and there is no reason to panic.

She further noted that the DOH has 2,000 testing kits and testing centers available nationwide to verify if a person is afflicted with Zika.

“In previous years, Zika virus infection was documented in the Philippines and the patient had no history of traveling outside the country which means it was acquired locally. But it does not means there is a cause for panic,” Garin pointed out.