FORT SILL, Okla., June 9, 2016 -- With the first confirmed case of the Zika virus related birth defects reported in New Jersey earlier this month the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued travel bans to foreign countries affected by the virus. As summer temperatures combine with the effects of recent heavy rains the mosquito numbers will likely increase. The following are steps people can take to prevent the possibility of contracting or spreading the virus.
Reynolds Army Community Hospital's Preventive Medicine department offers information and tips on prevention and awareness regarding the virus.
First discovered in 1947 and named after the Zika forest in Uganda, the virus is mosquito-borne and transmitted or spread to people primarily through the bite of infected (Aedes) mosquitoes. According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health the virus is a reportable disease and classified as an unusual disease or syndrome in Oklahoma.
So far four Oklahoma residents have acquired it after travelling to other countries whose citizens have contracted the disease. Prior to 2015, outbreaks had been identified in the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia and Africa. Since then outbreaks have occurred in the Western Hemisphere initially in Brazil, then spreading to many countries and territories in the Americas. Areas where mosquitoes have infected other people include Mexico, The Caribbean, Central and South America. U.S. territories affected are Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and American Samoa.
CDC scientists have identified Zika infection during pregnancy as a cause of microcephaly, a condition which results in abnormally small head size and cognitive impairment in newborn infants and children.
The virus has also been linked to other severe fetal brain defects. Researchers are investigating possible links to the nervous system condition known as Guillain Barré syndrome.
Many people with the infection may not have symptoms. In those who do, the most common symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis (red irritated eyes). Headache and generalized muscle aches may also be noted. These symptoms may develop a few days to a week after exposure. Be sure to see your doctor or a health care provider if you have these symptoms and have traveled recently to any area or country that is known to have the Zika infection or if you have had a sexual relationship with anyone who has recently come from such an area. The illness is generally mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week. The virus may remain in the blood for a week and sometimes longer. Once infected, a person is usually immune from future infections.
"Environmental Health is doing weekly mosquito trapping and sending all female mosquitoes to Army Public Health Command South for testing.
The Aedes species that can carry the Zika virus has been historically known to be in Oklahoma, but has not been found on base so far this season. The CDC estimates the Aedes mosquito will be in Oklahoma by June," said Capt. Jennifer House, chief of environmental health at RACH. "Aedes mosquitoes are aggressive day biters and travel about 200 meters from their breeding grounds.
Environmental health technicians will have ovitraps set out at different locations to detect these mosquitoes. Once Aedes mosquito eggs are found technicians will investigate for breeding grounds within 200 meters and coordinate with post pest control and Directorate of Public Works personnel to spray or remove breeding grounds, said House.
To prevent transmission of the Zika virus, people should wear long sleeve shirts and long pants. Clothing should also be light-colored and loose-fitting. Use Permetherin clothing and gear -- either treat clothing or buy pre-treated items. People should also apply insect repellent that is Environmental Protection Agency approved. Best repellants contain DEET or Picaridin. and use air-conditioning or window and door screens for buildings.
"Once a week, units and residents on Fort Sill need to empty and scrub, turn over, cover or throw out items that hold water such as tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, gutters, birdbaths, flowerpots or trash containers. Check inside and outside your home or office," House said.
The RACH Environmental Health office staff is available to answer questions and can be reached at 580-442-3175. For more information regarding the Zika virus visit the CDC Zika website at www.cdc.gov/zika/index.html.
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