South Africa is ready to fight the Zika virus, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said in Parliament on Tuesday.
Addressing the National Assembly, Motsoaledi reiterated that there was no need to panic. He said the Zika virus was not new, but had been isolated as far back as 1947.
“The Zika virus itself does not kill; the disease is self-limiting. It is in the blood for a few days and disappears,” he said.
Motsoaledi said the health department was ready to fight the virus, as the teams that had dealt with the recent Ebola outbreak in Africa were still in place.
He said those teams would be used to fight the Zika virus if necessary.
Motsoaledi said the biggest concern was still pregnant women, as the virus could affect the foetus.
On Friday, February 19, a Colombian businessman, who was visiting South Africa, was diagnosed with the Zika virus.
He has since been “cured”.
Source News 24
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 