Antigua and Barbuda has recorded its first case of the vector-borne Zika Virus, following test results confirmed by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).
The announcement was made by Minister of Health and the Environment, Molwyn Joseph, who said that the individual is a female resident from the Grays Farm area.
In making the announcement, Minister Joseph noted that the case in question did not originate on island but was imported from the Dominican Republic where the woman went to spend time in April.
“We wish to inform the public that we now have the first laboratory confirmed case of the Zika Virus infection which was reported to Antigua and Barbuda by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). The case is an adult female from the Grays Farm area with a recent travel history to the Dominican Republic”, Minister Joseph said.
Antigua and Barbuda now joins 35 countries in the Americas and four islands in the OECS with Laboratory confirmed cases of the Zika Virus.
In strengthening the point of the case being imported, Minister Joseph said that there is absolutely no evidence of the virus in the house of the individual, in the community where she resides or on the island on a whole.
“Investigations point to this being an imported case because relatives and household contacts of the infected individual have been symptom-free and to date, there has been no case evidence of local transmission of Zika in Antigua and Barbuda. The fact of the matter is that no member of the family who lives with this individual has come down with the virus but the family member who has the Zika was in an environment where there was a Zika case in the Dominican Republic so we are pretty sure that it was imported. We are not speculating, we are quite confident that it was imported”, Joseph continued.
Joseph also stressed the point that his Ministry will treat the issue as a matter of national priority and will not hesitate to inform the public on any developments regarding the Zika Virus.
He said the results from CARPHA were received today.
“We learned of it today and here we are having a press conference as a clear demonstration that we will be transparent and not keep the public in the dark and in addition to that, we want to get the corporation of the public to treat this issue as a matter of national health concern”, the Health Minister continued.
The Zika virus has been around since 1947. It was developed from the blood culture of monkeys in Uganda (NOT BRAZIL, OR ANYWHERE NEAR BRAZIL).
The virus became OWNED by the Rockefeller Foundation who owns its patent: http://www.lgcstandards-atcc.org/products/all/VR-84.aspx?geo_country=ie#history
The Zika virus can be purchased online for USD599 via ATCC:
http://www.lgcstandards-atcc.org/en/Form_From_Scratch/Shopping_Cart/Modal/Item_Added_to_Cart.aspx?sc_device=modal
News from the Rockefeller Foundation:-
1931- Under the support of the Rockefeller Institute, Dr. Cornelius Rhoads, infected humans with cancer cells. He later went on to establish the US Army Biological Warfare facilities in Maryland and Utah. While there, he conducted radiation experiments on American soldiers and civilian hospital patients.
1911- Dr. Hideyo Noguchi of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research injected 146 hospital patients (some of (some of whom were children) with syphilis.
Hmmm. So their first case and they immediately give off where the woman resides. I wonder how many cases Dominica has now, with information being given off.. lol