By Beth Christian Broschart
The Parsons Advocate
PARSONS – Most folks have heard about the Zika virus and Tucker County Health Department Director James Snyder offered tips about how to avoid being infected by this disease. Snyder said some of the best information about the virus is available on the CDC website www.cdc.gov.
The Zika virus was discovered in 1947 and is named for the Zika Forest located in Uganda. The first human cases of the virus were detected and since then, outbreaks of Zika have been reported in the tropical regions of Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.
One is the real dangers of Zika is that it can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus and infection during pregnancy can cause certain birth defects. Zika is spread primarily through infected mosquitoes, but can be spread through sexual contact as well. To date, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease or a medicine to treat the Zika virus.
“One big thing is to watch about traveling to areas where there are outbreaks of Zika,” Snyder said. “According to the CDC website, the only area in the United States where it is confirmed the mosquitos are carrying the virus is in Miami.”
Snyder said the mosquito that carries Zika, the Aedes species of mosquito, is found in this area, however, no mosquitoes in this area have been found that carry the virus. The Aedes species of mosquito is typically an aggressive daytime biting mosquito, but it can also bite during the night.
“We have not found any mosquitos in this area that carry the Zika virus so far,” he said. “Our big thing is we want people to take precautions that they do with West Nile Disease or lacrosse encephalitis – avoid any standing water around the house like that in buckets or tires or wading pools. Make sure there is no stagnant water around – dump that water out.”
Snyder said folks should use mosquito repellents and follow the label directions.
“We also recommend wearing long sleeves and long pants when you will be in areas where there are mosquitoes,” he said. “Another thing to do is check home door and window screens to assure they are bug tight.”
Snyder said many people infected with Zika won’t have symptoms or will only have mild symptoms. Symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis or red eyes. Other symptoms of the virus include muscle pain and headaches.
The CDC website advises symptoms can last for several days to a week and said most people usually do not become sick enough to go to a hospital, and deaths from Zika are rare. Once a person has been infected with Zika, they are likely to be protected from future infections.
A diagnosis of the Zika virus is based on a person’s recent travel history, symptoms they are experiencing and test results. A blood or urine test can confirm Zika infections. Currently, there is no specific medicine or vaccine for Zika, so when infected, physicians will typically treat the symptoms.
If infected with Zika, the CDC recommends getting plenty of rest and drinking fluids to prevent dehydration. The page advises those infected to take acetaminophen to reduce pain and fever, but says not to use aspirin or other NSAIDs. They recommend talking with your healthcare provider before taking any other medicines.
Additional information about the Zika virus and other public health concerns is available on the CDC website, or by visiting the Tucker County Health Department located at 219 Sunnyside Lane in Parsons. Their website is www.tuckerhealthwv.com and they have a page on Facebook. They can be reached by calling 304-478-3572.