In February the Center for Disease Control declared an emergency over a breakout of the mosquito borne Zika virus. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control announced April 26 the first case of travel-associated Zika infection in South Carolina.
R.J. Frazier, Fort Jackson's Emergency Manager said, "As of May 4, 2016, within in the continental United States, there have been 472 laboratory confirmed travel-associated Zika virus disease cases with no locally acquired mosquito-borne cases."
Fort Jackson officials are calling on post community members to take adequate precautions in order to mitigate the threats mosquitos bring.
Shelly Keller, the Installation Post Management Coordinator for the Directorate of Public Works in February cautioned residents to wear insect repellent and proper clothing during daylight hours.
The best way to protect oneself "is avoid being bitten," she said. "Wear long sleeves, pants, repellent on exposed skin. Make sure doors are kept shut, screens are on the windows."
"The mosquitos are daytime biters," she said. "Wear insect repellent containing DEET or picaridin when you must go outdoors. It is imperative to reapply according to label directions. Soldiers should wear permethrin treated uniforms and maintain them according to instructions. Wear long sleeves and trousers. Ensure you have screens on windows and keep doors shut."
Fort Jackson community members with Zika-like symptoms (rashes, red eyes, fever, joint pain, headache, and vomiting) should contact their physician.
"Most cases of the virus are mild and cause no long term harm," she said. "Your doctor can order a blood test to look for Zika or similar viruses. Be sure to mention your travel history to the doctor. Pregnant women should follow mosquito avoidance procedures. Using approved insect repellents is safe when used as directed."
Protection is vital, she said, because the Zika virus carries a high risk to unborn children, and there may be a link between the virus and Guillain-Barré syndrome. The CDC is currently investigating the link to the syndrome that causes a person's immune system to attack nerve cells causing muscle weakness and paralysis.
While only one in five people will develop Zika, or show the generally mild symptoms, pregnant women or those looking to become pregnant should be especially cautious.
Pregnant women, and women trying to become pregnant, should avoid travel to Zika-affected regions and correctly use condoms during sex with partners who have traveled to Zika-affected regions.
Pregnant women, and women trying to become pregnant, located in Zika-affected regions, should wear permethrin-treated clothing. Active duty females should wear the permethrin-treated uniform and treat the maternity uniform with permethrin.
While community members should be vigilant, DPW has been hunting down mosquito breeding grounds since October aiming to eradicate the pests before they hatch.
The types of mosquito that carry the virus breed almost exclusively in manmade objects.
Keller recommends Soldiers, civilians and Family members on Fort Jackson remove or empty barrels, pools, bird baths, bottles, and old tires from around buildings to prevent mosquitoes.
"The mosquitoes are also known as artificial container mosquitoes and breed almost exclusively in articles we discard," she said in February.
DPW is still "eliminating standing water we find and larvaciding where needed," Keller said.
The DHEC cautioned even though "mosquitoes in South Carolina do not carry the Zika virus at this time" they encourage "all individuals, as a routine precaution, to protect themselves against mosquito bites."
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