Public Health scrambles as zika virus arrival imminent

Santo Domingo.- The imminentarrival of the zika virus has prompted the Public Health Ministry to ask the NationalEmergency Commission (CNE) to draft a prevention plan.

In a meeting Wednesday healthminister Altagracia Guzman said the conditions are ripe for the spread of the disease,which is already present in nine countries in the Americas.

In the CNE meeting withrepresentatives from 30 agencies, People Health Management director Jose ManuelPuello unveiled a program which includes prevention, coordination, preparednessand response to the spread of the virus.

Puello stressed theneed to eliminate mosquito breeding sites, calling it the key to prevent thespread of the disease.

For his part, CivilDefense deputy director José Alcántara said that agency´s provincial representativeswill be instructed to adopt the measures in the plan and pledged to make everyeffort to prevent the virus from spreading.