Health desk on Zika at major ports, airports

Minister of Health Kamineni Srinivas has issued orders for the setting up of ‘health desks’ at all major airports and sea ports in the State to monitor passengers arriving from Zika-affected countries. The Minister held a video conference with officials of the Medical and Health Department from the Secretariat in Hyderabad on Friday. He also reviewed the preparedness of the State to handle Zika Cases.

After watching a video on the protocols to be followed, Mr. Srinivas said health desks should be established at airports at Gannavaram, Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Puttaparthi and the major ports of Krishnapatnam, Kakinada, Gangavaram and Visakhapatnam.

The Minister also directed officials to organise awareness programmes to educate the public on Aedes Egyptica, a day bitter, which is a vector of Zika virus. The virus is linked to babies with small heads.