The Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Chris Fearne, told parliament this evening that as far as was known, no mosquitoes in Malta were infected with Zika.
He said in parliament that the local health authorities were keeping a close watch on the development of the Zika virus through the EU’s early warning system and direct contacts with the World Health Organisation and the US Centres for Disease Control.
Dr Fearne spoke about the nature of Zika, how it is spread and symptoms. He said the risk of transmission of Zika was low in Europe and the Mediterranean in the winter but the risk increased as temperatures rose.
He said local doctors have been briefed on the symptoms of Zika and lectures are being held for medical staff. Information is being given to travellers to affected countries and a meeting would be held with travel agents.
Kits for diagnosis were ordered in January and a man tested positive early this month. The man had recovered from fever by the time he arrived in Malta from Samoa but he was held in isolation.
No further symptoms developed and he was now no longer in isolation.
Another four persons have since been tested after travelling to affected countries. All tested negative.
Dr Fearne urged all people travelling to affected countries should take measures to avoid mosquito bites. Pregnant women and women planning to get pregnant should avoid travel to those countries.
Since Zika could be sexually transmitted, safe sex precautions should also be taken.
A legal notice will be issued tomorrow laying down that all travellers showing symptoms would have to be tested on their return.
He said that a government-appointed monitoring Zika was planning an information campaign and would also conduct a study to continually be assured that no misquotes which carried Zika were in Malta. Potential sites for mosquito breeding would be mapped out.
Precautions would also be taken regarding arriving ships.
The shadow minister for health, Claudette Buttigieg, underlined the need for people to avoid mosquitoes and standing water where the Asian Tiger mosquito bred. She asked if there are plans to spray the roads and other areas.
Would travellers to popular destinations such as Thailand be givens pacific advice?
Questions were also asked by Godfrey Farrugia (PL), Carm Mifsud Bonnici (PN) and Beppe Fenech Adami (PN). Dr Fenech Adami after if plans are being changed for Malta's contingent for the Olympic Games in Brasil.
Replying, Dr Fearne said the risk of an infected mosquito being found in Malta and of it infecting another person was low. There were no direct flights to infected countries and therefore mosquitoes could not be found on planes, However mosquitoes could find their way to Malta on standing water in ships. The Asian Tiger mosquito was believed to have come to Malta in stagnant water in a tyre. Measures were being taken to address this risk.
He stressed that the majority of people stung by infected mosquitoes did not suffer major consequences. The worry was over the consequences caused to pregnant women and especially their babies.
In order to discourage mosquito breeding, the people were being urged not to have standing water, such as in containers under pot plants. Public spaces with standing water such as fountains which did not work, or reservoirs would be tacked individually. An information campaign would be held.
With regard to spraying, that would happen only if a large presence of infected mosquitoes was found. A balance had to be struck because the spray had its consequences too.
The situation would remain under constant watch, even with regard to the Olympic contingent, Dr Fearne said.
PRISONER OUT OF ITU AFTER SUFFERING H1N1
Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela, replying to questions by Dr Godfrey Farrugia on the H1N1 outbreak at the prisons, said a prison inmate who had suffered H1N1 flu and was treated in the ITU was now in a medical ward after his situation improved.
Furthermore, there had been no new flu cases at the prison in the past seven days and no prisoner was being held in isolation as a result of the flu. No prisoner was suffering flu symptoms.
The sitting is still in progress