The Manitoba NDP is pressuring the Pallister government to take the Zika outbreak seriously after Manitoba public health confirms five cases in the province.
“Zika virus can cause serious birth defects and families need to be aware of its presence so they can take precautions,” said MLA Matt Wiebe, the NDP health critic. “It’s unconscionable for the government to ignore the risks and fail to notify families of the spread of the virus in the province.”
Wiebe is asking that the province post the latest information about the confirmed cases of Zika on their website. He is also urging Pallister to provide media with info on the possible threat and prevention of the disease.
“We’ve seen the tragic consequences of Zika in South America, where so many babies were born with microcephaly,” Wiebe said. “The lack of information here leaves families guessing about the seriousness of the threat and unable to determine the best course of action to protect themselves.”
Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen said it is important that the public receives accurate information based on fact
“It’s disappointing that the NDP have chosen to attack our qualified public health officials to create fear and score political points,” Goertzen said in a statement to CTV News.
The minister added that the NDP opinion on Zika is inaccurate and not based on medical evidence.
In relation to the five cases in Manitoba, Goertzen said each has been determined to be travel-related.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration wants all blood centres in the country to start screening for Zika, a major expansion intended to protect the nation's blood supply from the mosquito-borne virus.
However, Canadian Blood Services is keeping a close eye on the Zika virus, but has made no changes to the way it screens blood for infectious diseases or to its restrictions on donations.
"We've determined the risk of Zika virus entering the Canadian blood system to be extremely low, but as we monitor the situation, we are prepared to update our screening criteria should it pose a risk to the Canadian blood supply," Nujma Bond, a spokesperson for CBS said in an email to the Associated Press.
Since February, Canadians who have travelled outside Canada, the continental United Stated or Europe must wait 21 days following their return before donating blood.
The province will be meeting with the federal government regarding best practices for public reporting. The health minister said they are prepared to update their reporting criteria should there be a public health risk to Manitobans.
With files from the Associated Press.
