HEALTH, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children Ministry yesterday dismissed as unfounded reports on Zika virus, saying there is no single case in the country.
The ministry’s statement has come just a
day after the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) released
its study findings on Thursday, showing that 15.6 per cent of the 533
people whose blood samples were tested had Zika virus.
The statement, signed by the ministry’s
acting Head of Communications, Ms Catherine Sungura, said that there is
no scientific evidence to prove the existence of the virus, which hit
some parts of America early this year.
“I want to confirm that the virus is yet
to be discovered in Tanzania,” the statement read, “...the study by
NIMR had focused on investigating the quality of new diagnostic kits for
infectious diseases--Zika and Chikungunya virus.
” The ministry, through the statement,
described NIMR’s research as an initial findings considering the quality
and capacity of the testing kits, “These findings need further
investigations, using the WHO (World Health Organisation)-confirmed
kits.
”The statement said further that the
ministry will continue collaborating with other research institutions
within and outside the country to produce findings that will help in
preventing the disease occurrences.
The ministry noted that there are
procedures guiding the release of information on infectious diseases
like Zika and Ebola, among others. “The ministry has already prepared a
strategic plan to monitor Zika in the country,” said the statement.
Zika virus is an emerging mosquito-
borne virus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in rhesus
monkeys through a monitoring network of sylvatic yellow fever. According
to WHO, the virus was subsequently identified in humans in 1952 in
Uganda and Tanzania.
Presenting the institute’s achievements
over the year, NIMR Director General, Dr Mwele Malecela, said in Dar es
Salaam on Thursday that the study also discovered that out of 80
toddlers born with physical disabilities, 43.8 per cent were traced with
the virus. NIMR conducted the study in partnership with Bugando
Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, she said.
“The study aimed at finding out whether
the virus exists in the country and if it had impacts on children born
with physical disabilities,” said Dr Malecela, noting that lines of
medical research are going on to determine the extent at which the virus
has spread in the country
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