Background
On February 1, 2016 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Zika virus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. This designation is reserved for public health crises which will have global reach. The first case of zika virus in Jamaica was confirmed on January 29, 2016.
Cases of zika virus in Jamaica
As at July 19, 2016, the Ministry of Health received four thousand three hundred and forty three (4,343) notifications for the zika virus of which two thousand eight hundred and forty five (2,845) or sixty five percent (65%) fit the case definition for Zika and were classified as “Suspected Zika”.
Geographic spread
There are fifty five (55) laboratory confirmed cases. The confirmed cases were reported from the parishes of St Catherine (9), St Thomas (5), Clarendon (4) and Kingston & St. Andrew (25), Trelawny (1), Manchester (1), St. Ann (1) and nine (9) cases with unknown addresses.