A Zika epidemic has been sweeping through Latin America and the Caribbean, and officials think it’s likely some small clusters of Zika will occur in the USA when mosquito numbers boom.
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Rubio also wants federal money to be spent on local and state mosquito-control efforts, and with the National Institutes of Health to fund research into a vaccine for Zika. Congressional leaders have not formally voted on the request.
Permanent secretary for Health Dr Metuisela Tuicakau said it was vital for the public to understand that because the virus was spread by mosquitoes, it was important that clean and hygienic practices were carried out at homes and the surrounding environment.
The mosquito species that transmits the virus is not believed to live in Utah, the department reported; however, the Aedes aegypti mosquito was found in the St. George area three years ago, according to mosquito abatement officials.
This week, the Health Department began distributing Zika education and prevention kits to pregnant women. “A lot of this is about going to people and saying, ‘There are simple, common sense things you can do, not just to protect yourself from Zika but to protect yourself from any mosquito-borne illness”.
They urged New Yorkers to clear up any standing water on their property and make sure screens in their windows are intact.
There’s no current plan to increase spraying, which is already done to combat West Nile Virus, but the department is studying what kinds of insecticides to use if they do opt to eradicate the Asian tiger mosquito. Together, dozens or even hundreds of births in the 50 states and territories could be affected in devastating ways by Zika, said Dr. Edward McCabe of the March of Dimes, who spoke at the summit.
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All of Florida’s Zika virus infections had been contracted by people traveling outside the country – until Wednesday. “We looked for evidence of Zika in the mouse testes mostly as an afterthought, due to mounting evidence of sexual transmission and were surprised that viral levels were the highest we saw in any tissue”, Diamond says. Officials are concerned that, with Summer around the corner, Florida could experience local outbreaks of Zika.
