Cuba to deploy 9,000 troops to prevent Zika virus

A Cuban military reservist fumigates inside a home in Havana February 22, 2016.[Photo/Agencies]

HAVANA - Cuban President Raul Castro on Monday called on his people to help prevent the entry of the Zika virus in the island while dispatching 9,000 troops to strengthen vector control and sanitation efforts.

In an editorial published in the official daily "Granma" on Monday, Castro said that there are no confirmed cases of Zika in Cuba to date. However, he ordered health authorities to monitor and address all suspicious fevers while intensifying controls at airports and ports.

Should Zika appear on the island, Cuba's health services have the resources necessary to provide qualified medical care, said Castro.

He recalled that Cuba has worked intensively to reduce the presence of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, as well as reducing factors that can stop Zika from spreading, such as poor sanitation.

As part of this plan of action, the Revolutionary Armed Forces will provide over 9,000 troops, including reserves, to strengthen vector control and sanitation efforts.