CDC issues Zika Health Advisory

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Nicole Hurst
  • 66th Medical Squadron Public Health
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  The Florida Department of Health has identified an area in the Miami-Dade and Broward counties with the mosquito-borne Zika virus. Because of this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a health advisory for pregnant women and women of reproductive age to avoid non-essential travel to this area.

The transmission of the Zika virus is through mosquito bites, sex and from a pregnant woman to their fetus. The most common route of Zika transmission is through the bite of an infected Aedes-species mosquito. These mosquitoes are aggressive daytime biters; however, they may also bite at night.

For individuals who have lived in or traveled to the Miami area after June 15, 2016, the CDC offers the following advice:

-Pregnant women with possible exposure to Zika virus should be tested in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, even if there are no symptoms of the virus present.

-Pregnant women and their partners who have traveled to this area should use safe sex measures for the duration of the pregnancy.

-Women with Zika virus disease symptoms should wait eight weeks before attempting to conceive, while men with symptoms should wait a full six months.

-Men and women who may have had exposure to the Zika virus are encouraged to make an appointment with a health care provider.

For other CDC Zika recommendations, visit http://www.cdc.gov/zika/intheus/florida-update.html.

At Hanscom, Public Health officials conduct surveillance for the Aedes mosquito by setting specific traps that could catch the Zika virus-transmitting mosquitoes. Although there have been no reported cases of local mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission in Massachusetts, officials recommend taking appropriate precautions.

Individuals can take the following steps to protect themselves and family members: Use insect repellent; wear clothing that covers arms and legs; treat clothing and gear (boots, pants and tents) with permethrin; use screens on windows and doors of your house; once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover or throw out items that hold water such as tires, buckets, pools and flowerpots.

Many people infected with Zika virus will not have symptoms or will only have mild symptoms. These symptoms may last several days to a week. In many cases, those infected with Zika do not get sick enough to go to the hospital and for this reason, are not aware of the infection.

The most common symptoms of Zika are: fever, rash, joint pain, conjunctivitis (red eye), muscle pain and headache.

Individuals have tested positive with the Zika virus in more than 50 countries located in the Americas, Oceania/Pacific Islands and Africa. If traveling to the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area, military and civilian personnel may schedule an appointment with Public Health to learn about current medical alerts to that area.

Further information on the Zika virus is available at www.cdc.gov/zika or at http://health.mil/zika. For additional information or for other public health concerns, contact the Public Health office at 781-225-6295.