Ministry of Health Concentrates on Pregnant Women at Risk for Zika

Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services

“There is a package that has been developed to be given to pregnant women to try to minimize their risk. The package usually includes a bed net, condoms and insect repellents; those are all being procured by the Ministry of Health. For those women who turn out positive, we are trying to monitor them via ultrasounds, which is the indicated mechanism. I mean once you have had zika, you really just have to monitor. After Hurricane Earl, we undertook some of that in some areas, more than others, but that is an ongoing process that should be done at all sectors of community. As I said, we are following clusters; that’s where we are trying to concentrate our efforts for right now.”

Marvin Manzanero

Duane Moody

“Talk to us about the report that has come out in terms of microcephaly. We understand that they are not seeing the effects until after childbirth.”

Dr. Marvin Manzanero

“Yes, there’s lot of other neurological complications that are being now associated to zika, not microcephaly; I know that’s the one that caught everybody’s attention. But there’s been several reports of late coming about stating that there are other neurological complications or other neurological anomalies that are coming about as a result of zika in pregnancy. Zika is a dynamic disease; it is something that we didn’t know and I think every day we have to be on the lookout for further data. And as with any other viral disease, prevention is key.”