MONROVIA, Montserrado — Four days after the World Health Organization declared the Zika virus a global health emergency, many Liberians are still unaware of this new virus that is quickly spreading across the world.

The Zika virus, which began to spread incrementally in 2014, has now reached pandemic levels and forced global health leaders to increase measures to prevent spreading and develop a vaccine.

The virus is mainly spread by mosquitos commonly found in tropical climates, however many new cases are being reported in regions not initially thought to be favorable for the spread of the virus.

Additionally, it may also be spread among humans through sexual contact and from pregnant women to an unborn fetus.

In 2015, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control issued a statement that there may be a possible association between the Zika virus when transmitted to a fetus and microcephaly (babies born with reduced head size) and brain damage.

The Zika virus has a rate of one in every five infected persons becoming ill, the most common symptoms being fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes. The illness is generally mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week.

While the virus may remain in an infected person’s blood stream for days, it can be found longer in some people. Since there are currently no vaccines or medications available to prevent or treat Zika, the United States’ Center for Disease Control recommends the following to help alleviate symptoms:

• Get plenty of rest.
• Drink fluids to prevent dehydration.
• Take medicine such as acetaminophen to relieve fever and pain.
• Do not take aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, like ibuprofen and naproxen. Aspirin and NSAIDs should be avoided until dengue can be ruled out to reduce the risk of hemorrhage (bleeding). If you are taking medicine for another medical condition, talk to your healthcare provider before taking additional medication.

With the fragile state of the Liberian health system, many fear that the already porous medical system may not be able to handle an additional major health crisis. With Ebola and Zika viruses sharing a few common symptoms, what plans have been implemented to help inform citizens on how to identify and treat potential symptoms?

Liberia’s Deputy Minister of Health for Public Health and the head of the country’s Ebola response team, Tolbert Nyenswah, said the government had not yet started an intensive messaging campaign targetted at the general public. However, there is a surveillance system in place to detect cases of the Zika virus and other infectious diseases.

Although Liberia has yet to confirm a case of the virus, Nyenswah said the surveillance system had detected a case of deformity in a baby in the Dixville community in Montserrado.

“A 14-year-old gave birth to a deformed baby, but this a situation that is normally in Liberia,” he said. “We went in immediately and investigated the situation. We’re carrying on some tests right now and so the vigilance is high.”

Nyenswah expressed confidence in the surveillance system, which consists of a county surveillance officer for each county, 92 district surveillance officers, and additional zonal surveillance officers.

He said the Ministry of Health and its partners were in the process of designing a campaign to get the message out to the public, while continuing the current surveillance.

“We’ve been working with our WHO country office here and the [United States] Center for Disease Control and the Ministry of Health to design strategic messaging, intensify our surveillance system, and investigate thoroughly and keep the surveillance going.”

Chicago-based urologist, and co-founder of the Chicago Global Health Alliance, Dr. Adam Murphy, spoke with The Bush Chicken about the Zika virus as it relates to the Liberian population.

“There may actually be more cost associated with the virus than death toll as with the Ebola virus,” he said.

“The significance with this particular virus is that in a climate like Liberia, it will be critical to control mosquito population growth and continue reinforcing the importance of protected sex to reduce transmission,” Murphy added. “The medical community is, at least, a year from having a vaccine trial for the Zika virus.”

When asked about the lack of information currently available to citizens about the virus Murphy said, “There is a real risk of having it spread in Liberia although it is not commonly diagnosed yet the chances are great for new cases to arise. Continuing to exercise rigorous mosquito containment efforts should still be practiced to help combat the transmission of the virus.”

Jefferson Krua contributed to this report. Featured photo by Marcos Teixeira de Freitas