No current threat from Aedes mosquitoes capable of carrying Zika found in Turkey’s eastern Black Sea: Health Ministry

RİZE - Doğan News Agency

The presence of two types of “Aedes” mosquitoes capable of carrying the Zika virus have been found in Turkey’s eastern Black Sea region.

The mosquitoes were detected in the provinces of Riza, Trabzon and Artvin after teams coordinated by the Health Ministry carried out field work in the region.

However, according to the studies, the mosquitoes did not carry Zika or any other type of viruses potentially harmful to humans.

As a result of the disinfestation works carried out in those provinces, the Aedes mosquito population has been brought under control to prevent from spreading.

The teams particularly targeted old tires filled with water, as they provide an ideal nursery for mosquito larvae.

Samples of larvae and mosquitoes were collected from different areas in the three provinces to be examined later in the laboratories.

The authorities, however, still continue to monitor the areas where the mosquito populations have initially been spotted.

Government monitoring

The government has closely been monitoring the mosquito-borne Zika virus, Health Minister Ahmet Demircan said on Jan. 11.

“Zika is a new common viral illness in Turkey. Our Health Ministry is doing the necessary studies on this and the necessary precautions will be taken,” he said.

“Is there such a threat in the future? It is a virus, so there might be. After we have taken the necessary precautions, we will carry out the measures according to the WHO [World Health Organization],” Demircan added.

The Zika virus could spread to the central Anatolian region of Turkey in seven years, the Turkish Health Ministry warned in a report, published in January.

“Aedes Albopictus mosquitos have reached western Thrace and Istanbul in western Turkey and the Black Sea’s Giresun in the east. The disease could reach Central Anatolia in five to seven years,” the report said, adding that the four patients who had Zika had visited Cuba.

The Zika virus, which is especially effective in the countries of South America, poses a great risk to the whole world. According to some experts, a total of 2.2 billion people risk becoming infected by the Zika virus.

Turkey has entered “risk category four,” according to a recent classification report issued in collaboration with the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.