RIYADH: The Kingdom has not yet recorded any cases of Zika virus, but it has intensified efforts to take precautions, the Ministry of Agriculture has said.

Dr. Ali Al-Sarar, counselor and supervisor at the agricultural services agency of the Agriculture Ministry, stressed the need to take the necessary precautions because mosquito carriers could be found in various regions of the Saudi Arabia.

Al-Sarar said the ministry is one of the first governmental sectors in the Kingdom that have contributed to the fight against mosquitoes that spread the Zika virus.

“There’s a need to take precautions to against the Zika virus. It’s better than getting sick and undergoing treatment. It may not only be expensive but our lives are also endangered,” he said.

Al-Sarar said the measures being undertaken by the Agriculture Ministry include ground and air spraying of pesticide and conducting tests on mosquitoes that are believed to be Zika virus carriers and other species.

He said this is being done before the actual implementation of spraying to see its effectiveness in fighting the virus.

“This is also being done in coordination with various concerned agencies as well as authorities from the Ministry of Health,” he said.

Al-Sarar said there are many species of mosquitoes in the Kingdom that transmit the virus.

“This underscores the need for stepped-up campaign and caution against the Zika virus which has caused concern and worries in various countries,” he said.

Al-Sarar said that areas conducive to the spread of the deadly Zika virus abound in the Americas. “Mosquitoes carrying the virus abound in tropical countries,” he added.