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MANILA – The Government has sent signals to the public, especially women who are pregnant or planning to have a child to avoid travelling to 29 countries that are affected by the Zika virus linked to thousands of birth defects in the Americas.

Zika virus can be spread from a pregnant woman to her unborn baby. There have been reports of birth defects and other poor pregnancy outcomes in babies of mothers who were infected with Zika virus while pregnant.

In a news conference on Tuesday (Feb 2), Health Secretary Janette Garin said the Department of Health would step up surveillance for cases of Zika.

Garin said "The most important thing now is mosquito control and keeping communities and environments clean."

The Philippine Red Cross, meanwhile, advised the public to defer "unnecessary travel" to Zika-affected countries across North, Central and South America, except Canada and Chile, and people should check for the latest advice before travelling.

Bulletins released by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that the Zika spread in South-east Asia is being under-reported because the virus is difficult to diagnose.

Zika resembles a light case of the flu. It is often so mild that its symptoms can be treated with over-the-counter medication.

Patients seldom go to clinics, and doctors often associate Zika symptoms with other illnesses, usually dengue or chikungunya.

A 15-year-old boy in the central Philippine city of Cebu was reportedly found to have been infected with the Zika virus in May 2012. He fully recovered after taking acetaminophen.

A CDC bulletin said a strain of the virus may have been introduced in the Philippines before 2012, and that it may have remained undetected. But the health department maintains the Philippines is "Zika free".

As a precaution, the government has ordered some 1,000 testing kits from CDC and designated six hospitals as testing sites. – Josue Gopez, The Griffin News