Health Minister denies Zika in Cuba

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Health Minister denies Zika in Cuba
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Martinoticias.com
February 17, 2016

E n Cuba there is not Zika, or Chikungunya, or yellow fever, but there is a high mosquito infestation of these diseases, said Cuban Minister of Public Health, which did not rule out the occurrence of cases in the country.

According to the official site Cubadebate.cu Minister Roberto Morales Ojeda however asked employees in the health sector to provide "maximum support" to the epidemiological campaign to prevent the entry of the Zika virus on the island.

The official explained that "in 55 municipalities there is high infestation of Aedes mosquitoes, especially aegypti and albopictus". Aedes aegypti is the transmitter of these serious diseases to human health.

Radio Mart? reported last week a suspected case of Zika in the town of Cruces, in the province of Cienfuegos.

And according to Cuban media, the minister "did not rule out" the risk of transmission can occur Zika "because the vector is present."
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http://www.martinoticias.com/content/cuba-zica-infestacion-mosquito-aedes-aegypti/115495.html

 

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Life | Mon Feb 22, 2016 9:27am EST Related: WORLD, HEALTH, CUBA

Cuba deploys army in effort to avoid Zika virus

HAVANA | BY MARC FRANK

Cuban President Raul Castro called on the entire Cuban population to help eradicate the mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus on Monday and ordered 9,000 army troops to help stave off the disease.

Cuba has yet to detect a case of Zika but the outbreak is affecting large parts of Latin America and the Caribbean and is likely to spread to all countries in the Americas except for Canada and Chile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.

"It's necessary for every single Cuban to take up this battle as a personal matter," Castro wrote in a national message sounding the alarm over Zika, which is carried by mosquitoes that transmit the virus to humans and which is suspected of causing birth defects after infecting pregnant women.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-zika-cuba-idUSKCN0VV1EW