LAGOS, AUGUST 30, 2016 – A Molecular Biologist, Dr Bamidele Iwalokun, on Tuesday urged the Federal Ministry of Health to expand its awareness campaign on the mode of transmission of the Zika virus, and ways to prevent it.Iwalokun, who is the Head, Immunology and Vaccinology Research Department, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.
He said that there was need for government to support the global call to accelerate the implementation of the phases of its vaccine trials.
“The Ministry of Health needs to share the latest information about the efforts and successes against Zika, like the experimental vaccine.
“The ground is now set for phases 1(a) and 1(b) of clinical trials in healthy human volunteers.
“The experimental Zika vaccines need to be registered before being considered for this phase and the humans to be used must be healthy.
“Haematologically, anthropometrically and physiologically, the volunteers must be willing to receive the vaccine doses for monitoring safely the vaccine’s adverse effect of administration,’’ he said.
Iwalokun said that continuous awareness on the various dangers would enhance research work that would proffer measures in controlling its spread.
“It has been confirmed that Zika can cause brain damage and can be sexually transmitted, which makes it particularly dangerous.
“It was detected that Zika can survive in semen for over two months, in the absence of symptoms in infected men.
“These information need to be passed to the public in order for them to be aware of the various means by which Zika is being transmitted,’’ he said.
Zika was spread mostly by the bite of an infected mosquito specie and it can be passed from a pregnant woman to her foetus.
WHO has declared the Zika virus a global public health emergency, and the infection is suspected to possibly lead to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains.
