Jamaica warns about Zika with catchy reggae PSA
While health officials across Latin America and the Caribbean are actively trying to educate their citizens about the risk of Zika virus, Jamaica's Ministry of Health has come up with perhaps the catchiest way to get the message across: a public service announcement in the form of a reggae music video.
Dr. Michael Abrahams, an obstetrician and gynecologist who is also a comedian and songwriter, stars in the video, "We Nuh Want Zik V." Accompanied by an infectious dancehall beat, he advises listeners on ways to protect themselves from mosquitoes that carry the virus.
Soon you'll be humming along as Abrahams sings, "Make sure there's not stagnant water in sight. And mash up all mosquito breeding site."
He also gives a "special shout-out to pregnant ladies -- protect yourself and protect your babies."
Zika's biggest threat is to pregnant women and their unborn children, as it has been linked to a recent surge of birth defects in Brazil. Health officials there say there is strong evidence to connect the virus to babies born there with abnormally small heads, a condition called microcephaly.
The Zika virus is primarily spread to people through the bites of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, though there have been reports of transmission through sexual contact and blood transfusions.
The reggae PSA got a stamp of approval from CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden, who called it "a catchy tune from the Jamaica Ministry of Health on preventing #Zika virus" on Twitter.
Jamaica reported its first case of Zika virus last month -- a now recovered four-year-old child who recently traveled abroad. The Health Ministry advises its citizens to search for mosquito breeding sites in areas with stagnant water such as flower pots, old tires, and uncovered water containers, and get rid of them.
