How to: Zika virus Prevention in the Philippines

Prevention will always be better than cure, and that is especially true with the Zika virus. There are now a total of 9 cases confirmed by the Department of Health (DOH), with all cases not having a history of travel to other countries a month before they were diagnosed with Zika.

The DOH recently released handy infographics telling everyone in the country more about the virus, as well as ways to prevent it.

WHAT IS ZIKA? A handy guide from the DOH. Infographic grabbed from doh.gov.ph

1. Search and destroy. Make sure you do the following to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in and around your home:
   1. Cover drums, pails, and other water containers at all times
   2. Clean and replace the water in your flower vases once a week
   3. Cover holes around the house with soil or sand
   4. Remove or pierce old tires being used as roof support or any tires around the house that might hold water
   5. Flip-over empty bottles, jars, tin cans, and other items that can collect and hold water
   6. Clean and remove water on dish racks and other household items that can hold water
2. Self-protection measures. Now that your surroundings are clean, it’s time to protect yourself:
   1. Use mosquito repellants to avoid mosquito bites
   2. Use mosquito nets when sleeping during the day
   3. Wear long sleeves or clothes that will protect your skin from mosquito bites
3. Seek early consultation. Go to your doctor or the nearest health facility if you’ve had a fever for two or more days.
4. Say “Yes” to fogging during outbreaks. Fogging should be done when there is an impending outbreak and during outbreaks.

The World Health Organization – Western Pacific Region also gave their own, easy-to-remember way of preventing a Zika virus infection:

EASY AS A, B, C. A-void mosquito bites during the day, B-e aware, and C-lean your surroundings. Image grabbed from World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific Facebook page

 

Source: Department of Health