The Zika Virus…What We Can Do to Prevent It

Warm weather brings us blooming trees and shrubs, beautiful landscapes and, well, insects. This year, the insect that is on the minds of many homeowners and health professionals is the mosquito — particularly mosquito species that can carry Zika virus, which has been making news worldwide as a recently identified pathogen.
The Zika virus is an emerging infection spread by mosquitos. It has caused epidemics in Central and South America and the Caribbean during the past year. Only 1 in 5 people infected with Zika virus will develop symptoms. Symptoms, which begin 3-12 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito, include fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild in healthy adults and may last from several days to a week. Infections of pregnant women have been linked to miscarriage and microcephaly, a congenitally small head in the infant.
At this point it should be noted that no cases of Zika virus-related microcephaly have occurred in Tennessee to date. Also, there has not been a case of locally-acquired Zika virus reported in the United States as of March 2016. The cases in the United States that have been reported are associated with travel to countries where the Ziak virus is common.
To prevent coming in contact with the Zika virus, CDC recommends that pregnant women consider delaying travel to countries where Zika is active. List of areas with ongoing Zika virus transmission is available online (http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/). Other travelers should take precautions when travelling to such places. These might include wearing long sleeves and long pants and staying in places with air conditioning or window and door screens. Proper application of mosquito repellents containing 20% to 30% DEET on exposed skin also decreases the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes.
Although the risk of acquiring the virus locally appears to be minimal at this point, it is good to be aware of it and take steps to prevent mosquitos around your property when feasible. When possible, eliminate standing water which can be a breeding ground for mosquitos. Flower pot bases, pet dishes, children’s wading pools, and bird baths are common hot spots for these tiny insects to lay their eggs.
Later in the spring, if standing water cannot be removed and mosquito larvae are detected in containers, dunks or granular products containing Bacillus thuringiensis israeliensis (Bti) or methoprene can be used to treat the water and kill the immature mosquitoes. Follow pesticide label directions carefully as adding ‘more’ will only cost more money. More information on mosquito control can be found at the University of Tennessee Extension office or online at smith.tennessee.edu.
The Zika virus is certainly something to be aware of if you are travelling abroad. For others, it is something to monitor but does not appear to be an imminent threat in TN at this time. The TN Department of Health has more information about the disease and how to avoid it at https://tn.gov/health/topic/zika-virus.