–some 16 cases recorded since 2016

OVER the past four months, the Public Health Ministry has not recorded any new cases of microcephaly in children, Director of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services, Dr. Ertenisa Hamilton reported on Wednesday.

Microcephaly is a birth defect, whereby a baby’s head is smaller than expected when compared to babies of the same sex and age. In recent times, the disease has been linked to the Zika Virus, a mosquito-borne infection that causes fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes.

In presenting on Family Health Services in the Regions during the ongoing Regional Health Officers (RHOs) Meeting at the Lake Mainstay Resort, Dr. Hamilton said that in 2016, the Zika virus was a major concern for the Public Health Ministry, not only because of the discomfort it causes, but also because of its link to microcephaly.
She said that to date, a total of 16 cases of microcephaly among children have been recorded in Guyana since 2016. It was noted that although cases of microcephaly were recorded this year, there has been no new cases of the disease over the past four months.

Dr. Hamilton said while Guyana has been unable to confirm that these 16 cases of microcephaly were linked to the Zika Virus, it is strongly believed that there is a correlation, on the basis that the number of cases of microcephaly peaked in Guyana at a time when the country was experiencing an outbreak of the Zika Virus like other countries such as Brazil.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are many potential causes of microcephaly. The common ones include infections during pregnancy toxoplasmosis (caused by a parasite found in undercooked meat), herpes, syphilis, cytomegalovirus, HIV and Zika, exposure to toxic chemicals, maternal exposure to heavy metals like arsenic and mercury, alcohol, radiation, and smoking.

However, an increase in the number or clustering of cases of microcephaly has been linked to outbreaks in Zika Virus infection. “The most likely explanation of available evidence is that Zika Virus infection during pregnancy is a cause of congenital brain abnormalities, including microcephaly,” the WHO explained.

Dr. Hamilton said it was realised that in order to combat the diseases (Zika and Microcephaly), there was need for a very integrated approach. As such, the Maternal and Child Health Department has collaborated with the Pediatric Department to develop a Protocol.
“That Protocol should be in every primary healthcare facility, and should be followed. We have had good reporting, but most of it was coming from the hospital level,” Dr. Hamilton noted. She, however, said that though there has been no new cases, healthcare providers should still be on the lookout.

She noted, too, that healthcare providers in all ten of Guyana’s administrative regions have been trained to detect microcephaly. Earlier in March, the Public Health Ministry in collaboration with the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) and RAD-AID International trained Government Medical Officers (GMOs), obstetricians and gynaecologists on how to use an ultrasound to detect microcephaly in expectant mothers.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings had said that the training provided for doctors with the necessary skills and knowledge needed to facilitate more precise evaluation of the growth and development of a foetus.

“High-resolution ultrasound permits imaging of the foetal head, in utero, allowing accurate evaluation of head size, and detection of intracranial anomalies,” Dr Cummings said.

“Ultrasound findings would have been associated with Zika Virus disease, including microcephaly and other severe brain defects. Studies are underway to learn more about the full spectrum of abnormalities detected pre-natally and post-natally that might be associated with congenital zika infection,” she added.

RAD-AID, a United Nations (UN)-affiliated non-profit organisation, took up the mantle to provide radiology and imaging technology in resource-limited regions and communities of the world.

Radiology is a part of almost all segments of healthcare, including paediatrics, obstetrics, medicine and surgery.

The Zika Virus was first detected in Guyana early in 2016. While there were cases of microcephaly recorded in Guyana in the past, the numbers were very small when compared to 2016 and 2017.