Lake County General Health District offers information, protection tips

There have now been two cases of the Zika virus reported in Ohio.

Both cases were announced Feb .9. The first case is a 30-year-old woman from Cleveland and the second is a 21-year- old Stark County man. Both were returning travelers f rom Haiti, but the cases are unrelated.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 35 other cases in 12 states and Washington, D.C.

While there are no known cases in Lake County, the Lake County General Health District is offering tips on how to avoid diseases that are caused by the bite of a mosquito, such as Zika virus and West Nile virus.

What is Zika virus?

Zika virus is generally sprea d t hrough a mosquito bite. In May 2015, Zika virus was found for the first time in the Western Hemisphere in northeastern Brazil. The virus has since spread throughout much of the Caribbean, Central America and South America. The primary mosquito that spreads Zika virus is found in the tropics and southern U.S., but it is not found in Ohio. Another type of mosquito found in Ohio may spread Zika virus, but it has not yet been found to spread any human cases. At this time, there is no evidence that it can spread from person to person through casual contact. CDC has confirmed a U.S. case of Zika virus infection in a nontraveler after the person’s sexual partner returned from an affected c ountr y a nd developed symptoms.

Of people who have Zika v ir us, 80 percent do not have any symptoms. When symptoms occur, they are often mild, lasting from several days to a week and include fever, rash, joint and muscle pain, conjunctivitis (red eyes), and headache. Severe disease that would cause an individual to stay in a hospital is not common. There is a possible link between Zika virus infections in pregnant women and certain birth defects. CDC recommends t hat pregnant women and women trying to get pregnant consider not traveling to areas where Zika virus is spreading.

CDC has issued a travel aler t for people traveling to the follow ing regions and countries where Zika virus is currently spreading: the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands, U.S. territories; American Samoa; Barbados; Bolivia; Brazil; Cape Verde; Colombia; Cost a Rica; Curacao; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; El Salvador; French Guiana; Guadeloupe; Guatemala; Guyana; Haiti; Honduras; Jamaica; Martinique; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Paraguay; Saint Martin; Samoa; Suriname; Tonga; and Venezuela. Zika virus disease has historically occurred in Africa, Southeast Asia and islands in the Pacific Ocean.

There i s currently no vaccine for Zika virus. To prevent potential disease t hrough sex ual contact , CDC recommends men with a pregnant sex partner abstain f rom sex ual activity or consistently and correctly use condoms during sex for the duration of the pregnancy. CDC also recommends t hat pregnant women without symptoms of Zika v ir us disease be of fered testing t wo to 12 weeks after returning from areas where Zika virus is spreading.

How do I avoid Zika virus?

In addition to avoiding areas where CDC has issued a travel alert, the best protection against Zika virus and other diseases caused by mosquitoes is to not get bit t en. Residents should eliminate all standing water from their property:

• Remove all old tires and other water-holding containers, such as tin cans and unused flower pots, from your property.

• Make sure all roof gutters are clean and properly draining. Clean and chlorinate pools, outdoor saunas and hot tubs. Keep them empty when not in use and drain water from pool covers.

• Change water in bird baths weekly. In addition: • If you are outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active, be sure to wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, shoes and socks.

• Light colors are least attractive to mosquitoes.

• Use insect repellent and follow the label directions.

Planning is underway for a Zika virus tabletop exercise to ensure Ohio’s preparedness at the local and state levels prior t o the 2016 mosquito season that runs from May to October. The Lake County General Health District also plans to continue to operate its Mosquito Control Program throughout the spring and summer of 2016. The Mosquito Control Program usually begins in April with surveillance of known breeding areas and trapping of adult mosquitoes. Known breeding areas are then treated to kill mosquito larvae. The nighttime spraying, or adulticiding, begins when large amounts of adult mosquitoes are being trapped. The nighttime spraying is specifically designed to kill the adult mosquito, which does the biting.

of people who have Zika virus, 80 percent do not have any symptoms. when symptoms occur, they are often mild, lasting from several days to a week and include fever, rash, joint and muscle pain, conjunctivitis (red eyes), and headache.