Public health officials in the Cayman Islands have confirmed a fourth case of imported zika virus contracted by a returning resident. Acting medical officer of health Dr Samuel Williams-Rodriguez said the female patient travelled from 4 to 8 July to a country where there is an outbreak of zika. She reported onset of symptoms beginning 14 July when she visited the Health Services Authority on 16 July.
Williams-Rodriguez added that there is no evidence of local transmission of zika in the Cayman Islands to date.
“There has been a slight increase in the number of countries globally that have reported evidence of mosquito-borne zika virus transmission,” he said.
As of 27 July, 67 countries and territories had reported evidence of mosquito- borne zika virus transmission since 2007 (64 of these countries and territories reported evidence of the mosquito borne zika virus transmission since 2015).
This figure includes the following countries and territories in the Americas, which have newly reported local transmission: Antigua and Barbuda, Turks and Caicos, and in Florida, USA, where 15 non travel-related zika infections are currently being investigated according to media reports.
Investigations also continue into a possible case of transmission following close contact with a confirmed case with a very high viral load in Utah, USA.
“We are aware of this fourth case of zika and are taking all the necessary precautions to stop the local transmission of the virus,” said MRCU director Dr Bill Petrie. “This includes traditional insecticide spraying and now we also have the additional public health programme in West Bay using genetically modified mosquitoes to bring down the population of Aedes aegypti, which is the mosquito that transmits zika, dengue and chikungunya.”
Petrie also reminded the public to help eliminate Aedes aegypti breeding sites such as buckets, old tyres and other objects which can hold water.
