The Dominican Health Ministry on Monday declared an alert ahead of the possible arrival of the Zika virus.
Though there have been no reported cases of Zika in the Dominican Republic, “the conditions that facilitate the introduction and transmission of the disease exist in our country,” Health Minister Altagracia Guzman Marcelino said during a press conference.
Zika, like dengue fever and the Chikingunya virus, is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
“The main challenge for authorities and the whole population is to control mosquito reproduction as a way to diminish the risks of getting,” she said.
The government is ready to activate emergency committees to coordinate operations should a Zika outbreak happen.
The plan includes the drafting and distribution of treatment guidelines, along with systemic control of vectors and the identification of alternative care facilities.
“With this plan and other activities the Health Ministry is taking the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the Zika virus should the disease enter our territory,” Guzman Marcelino said.
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