Barbados sees a rise in Zika detections. Officials urge residents & visitors to take precautions to prevent spread of virus. Effective measures needed.
Before Travel Vaccination -A widespread Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak was encountered last year on a coral island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, according to information published by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) today in its arboviral situation summary.
Most places where the mosquito Aedes aegypti is prevalent have the potential for Zika transmission. According to the PAHO, this indicates that a significant portion of the Caribbean Islands may be susceptible to transmission.
In 15 out of 52 countries and territories in the Region of the Americas in 2022, the PAHO recorded a total of 37,869 ZIKV cases.
Brazil recorded 34,176 Zika cases, which is the largest number in the region.
But on the basis of cumulative incidence per 100,000 people. Barbados, which has roughly 280,000 people, was first in the region with 48.
In Brazil, where there are 214 million people, the rate was only 16.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an Alert Level 2 and Practice Enhanced Precautions to warn foreign travelers of their potential ZIKV health risk when visiting Barbados. On June 30, 2021, however, the CDC decided to withdraw this alert.
We do not yet have precise information on the amount of risk, according to the CDC.
However, sufficient data was available for Canada and the UK to issue Zika virus advice for travelers to Barbados last year.
In 2022, the UK will account for nearly 50% of all tourists from other countries.
The CDC, Canada, and the UK advise women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant within the next few months to speak with their healthcare providers about the dangers and potential repercussions of traveling to regions where Zika is a risk. Zika is a cause of severe congenital disabilities, such as microcephaly.
In addition, the CDC advises against pregnant women traveling to places where Zika infections are occurring.
As of January 28, 2023, none of these nations have also authorized a Zika preventative vaccination.
[…] Zika detections are highest in tiny Barbados […]