DENPASAR, Bali — The United States has issued a Level 2 Travel Health Notice over Zika in Indonesia, with the advisory specifically warning travellers to Bali after reports of Zika among travellers returning from the island.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is advising travellers to Bali to take enhanced precautions, including protecting themselves from mosquito bites and taking steps to prevent sexual transmission of the virus.
The advisory comes as Bali health officials say they have not found any confirmed Zika cases on the island.
Bali Health Agency chief I Nyoman Gede Anom said routine surveillance conducted by district and city health agencies and hospitals across Bali had not detected any confirmed cases of Zika.
“Based on routine surveillance data from district and city health agencies and hospitals across Bali, no confirmed cases of Zika have been found in Bali to date,” Anom said on Monday (Aug. 24).
Anom said the CDC advisory was nevertheless welcomed as an important warning and an opportunity to strengthen surveillance and preparedness.
Zika is primarily transmitted through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the same mosquito species that can transmit dengue.
Symptoms can include a rash, fever, red eyes, muscle and joint pain, weakness and headache. According to Anom, symptoms generally appear three to 14 days after infection and usually last four to seven days.
The Ministry of Health and Bali Health Agency plan to strengthen disease surveillance at health facilities across the island, including increasing the capacity for PCR and serological testing.
“These measures include increasing PCR and serological testing capacity at regional laboratories and national referral laboratories to ensure rapid and accurate diagnosis,” Anom said.
He also urged the public to maintain healthy habits and keep their surroundings clean to reduce mosquito breeding and the risk of transmission.
Residents are encouraged to follow the 3M Plus mosquito-control measures, including draining water containers, keeping water-storage containers covered, recycling items that can collect rainwater, and using mosquito repellent, bed nets or other mosquito-control measures.
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