The possible (or should I say very likely) arrival of the latest mosquito-borne disease, the Zika Virus, is weighing heavily on us in Jamaica. Susan Goffe has been following this issue very closely. Here is her excellent overview of the latest information on the regional front, divulged at a Port of Spain, Trinidad press briefing yesterday. Please read and share!
In Port of Spain, Trinidad, yesterday, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) held a media conference to give an update regarding the Zika virus in the region. Ms Carlon Kirton, Communications Manager, who chaired the briefing, explained the reason for it being held:
“As you may know, CARPHA is the sole public health agency for the Caribbean and our functions include the coordination of effective responses to public health crises in the Caribbean, as well as the provision of accurate, reliable, timely and relevant public health information. It is therefore important that we clear the air on issues pertaining to the Zika virus.”
Five presentations followed:
Dr C. James Hospedales, Executive Director, gave a regional perspective on Zika in the Caribbean (text).
“Zika, like Chikungunya in 2014/15, is historic as only rarely does a new disease emerge and spread through a population. And CARPHA, like CAREC before…
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Petchary's Blog 
Thanks for reblogging, Emma! More attention & information than there was ahead of the arrival of ChikV, but we’ll see how we manage if/when Zika arrives…
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Yes, much more attention and info – but also a lot more confusion and “grey areas” I feel? We shall see, as you say…
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