Zika virus disease is caused by Zika virus that is spread to people primarily through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, though Aedes aegypti are more likely to spread Zika.
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Outbreaks of the Zika virus are likely to occur in the United States; so to prepare, health officials are developing plans to combat Zika that focus on protecting pregnant women from the virus. Puerto Rico, a USA territory, has already experienced hundreds of locally acquired cases of Zika, which Frieden believes could expand to hundreds of thousands of cases by the end of 2016. News storiesdisplayed here appear in our category for US Headlines and are licensed via a specific agreement between LongIsland.comand The Associated Press, the world’s oldest and largest news organization.
“These mosquitos are centered around our homes, and so each individual resident has to take responsibility to make sure they remove standing water”, said Thompson.
An Aedes aegypti mosquito, carrier of the Zika virus, photographed through a microscope at the Fiocruz institute in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil.
“As soon as we get a suspect Zika case while the patient’s blood is still being tested and run for the disease, we’re out there the following day looking for any potential breeding sites”, said Chris Reisinger, Palm Beach County’s Mosquito Control Environmental Analyst.
Summit attendees will hear the latest scientific knowledge about Zika, including implications for pregnant women and strategies for mosquito control.
“Nothing about Zika is going to be easy or quick”, Frieden said.
What’s more, some areas can’t afford robust mosquito programs of their own, relying on the crews that fill potholes, for example, to spray neighborhoods when needed.
“The money we have is not enough”. McAllen officials said people need to report where they see mosquitoes to their health department. Congressional leaders have not formally voted on the request.
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Communication challenges and effective strategies to increase public awareness were among discussion points, including the dangers of Zika in pregnant women. Now, researchers at Purdue University in the United States have determined the virus’s structure, which could provide crucial insights into how the virus works.
