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Madagascar is developing action plan to fight against Zika virus

Xinhua, March 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

Madagascar's Ministry of Health and actors in its health sector are developing a preparedness action plan to fight against Zika virus, a government official said on Friday.

"Disease control of the epidemic requires a preparation for Madagascar which has its surveillance system," the director of health surveillance and epidemiological surveillance under Madagascar's Ministry of Health Ratsitorahina Maherisoa told Xinhua.

"I confirm that there is no clinical case identified in Madagascar though the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) classified Madagascar as among vulnerable countries of Zika Virus," Maherisoa said as head of fight against Zika Virus in Madagascar.

"The actions of sensitization of the population to get tested already begun and screening was carried out within the country," he said, adding that all health centers in Madagascar's territory has already been notified to the symptoms.

"The treatments are symptomatic in Madagascar, in case of fever, rash, headache, joint or muscle pain," Maherisoa said.

"Because Zika virus requires specific treatment of a viral disease, avoiding the bite of Aedes mosquito is the only way to fight against the disease by cleaning up the habitat around," Dr. Maherisoa explained.

Maherisoa told Xinhua that a committee, which branches into several subcommittees was already set up by his department gathering the Malagasy authorities, laboratories, and technical and financial partners of Madagascar in the fight against Zika.

A statement from the Institute Pasteur of Madagascar (IPM) said on Friday that the Virology Unit at the IPM has developed a molecular test to detect Zika virus.

The IPM said that Zika virus is similar to that of dengue and chikungunya, and is transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes. Endit