“No visa fi mi Canada show,” the Jamaican dancehall reggae singer, Beenie Man, wrote on his Instagram account Saturday after he found out he was denied a visa to perform at Drake’s OVO fest due to his diagnosis of the zika virus.
“I apologize again to my fans in case you haven’t seen the press release. The same Zika mosquito gi mi dengue. Blood test, injections, pills…” Beenie Man wrote. If catching Zika wasn’t bad enough, Beenie said, “The same Zika mosquito gi me [dengue fever.]”
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease occurring in tropical and subtropical areas. Symptoms include high fever, rash, and muscle and joint pain. In severe cases there is serious bleeding and shock, which can be life threatening. The most common treatments are pain relievers and fluids.
The Instagram post featured a photo of the Grammy award-winning singer lying in a bed undergoing blood tests.
Beenie, 42, born Anthony Moses Davis, was in Bermuda performing at the Cup Match Summer Splash festival when he got the diagnosis.
“The Minister of Health and Seniors, on behalf of Bermuda, wishes him a speedy recovery,” read the Bermuda’s Ministry of Tourism’s official statement. “This unfortunate situation offers an opportunity to remind the public about how to reduce the risk of contracting zika virus.”
MUST READ: How To Tell If You Have Zika Or Not
Zika is often a mild illness, with 80 per cent of those infected having no symptoms at all. Transmission is either through being bitten by a mosquito that has previously bitten someone carrying the virus, or through intimate sexual contact. Zika virus can cause serious health problems in some babies whose mothers contract the virus while pregnant.
“The ministry would like to remind all travelers that if they become ill, they should see a physician and outline their recent travel itinerary. If traveling from an area with any mosquito-borne illnesses like zika, dengue, or chikungunya, travelers are asked to consistently apply mosquito repellent for 2 weeks after returning home to reduce the chance of any onward transmission.”
“In addition, precautions should be taken to prevent sexual transmission of Zika virus to one’s partner via body fluids for at least 8 weeks following possible exposure. These precautions should be taken even if one does not have symptoms of illness.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 234 pregnant women in the U.S. tested positive for Zika in 2016. The largely mosquito-borne virus can be contracted through…
…sexual contact with an infected person. Those infected with Zika virus typically experience symptoms including mild fever, skin rash, muscle and joint pain, and headache. These symptoms can last up to a week.
There also has been one infant born in the U.S. with the birth defect from the Zika virus. Officials believe the mother contracted the virus while pregnant living in Brazil last year.
The news of Beenie Man’s diagnoses came one day after Florida officials confirmed three men and one woman were infected with the Zika Virus.
“Florida has become the first state in our nation to have local transmission of the Zika virus,” Governor Rick Scott announced Friday. We are testing the mosquitoes there and we are spraying to make sure it’s contained.”
For more on the zika virus, click here.
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