The Truth About Zika

The Truth About Zika

Nobody ever likes mosquitoes, but this year there is more to fear than usual. There are lots of rumors swirling about the Zika virus. What’s true? How scary is Zika, really? What can we do to prevent it? Here’s what the CDC wants us to know.

The Facts:

Zika is mostly spread through mosquito bites, specifically the Aedes species of mosquito. These mosquitoes are aggressive daytime biters, but they also bite at night.

Zika can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus. If infected during pregnancy, the Zika virus can cause serious birth defects.

Zika is not currently spread via mosquitoes in the continental U.S. However, the mosquitoes that can carry Zika are found in some areas, including Virginia and Maryland. The CDC can’t predict if the Zika virus will being to spread within the United States, but areas that have had outbreaks of other mosquito-borne illnesses such as chikungunya and dengue are considered at higher risk.

There is no vaccine or medicine for Zika.

How to Prevent Zika

As there is no vaccine available, the best way to prevent this disease is to prevent mosquito bites. Here’s what the CDC recommends:

Protect yourself by wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants. You can also treat your clothing with permethrin, or buy pre-treated items.

Use insect repellant with DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon, eucalyptus, or para- menthane-diol. Don’t use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months old. If using repellant with oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane- diol, do not use on children younger than three years of age.

Stay in places with air conditioning and screens over doors and windows. When sleeping outdoors or somewhere without air conditioning, sleep under a mosquito bed net.

The best way to avoid mosquitoes, and their bites, is to call the professionals and have them protect your home. If you are concerned about mosquitoes for any reason, call the experts at Point Pest Control today.