The Zika virus has been all over the news lately; a virus that is spread to people by the bite of a mosquito. For most that the disease infects, the virus creates flu-like symptoms as is similar to the symptoms from another mosquito spread disease, West Nile Virus; but for pregnant women, the threat to their unborn child can be much more devastating. The virus causes children to be born with abnormally small heads and brains, known as microcephaly. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that most of the cases discovered in the U.S. are of travelers bringing the infection back with them from other countries. Texas officials have confirmed a case of the virus being spread through sexual contact.

The Zika virus is known to be spread by a common mosquito, Aedes albopictus, to the tropical and sub- tropical regions of the world, which includes the Southeastern United States. The Aedes genus of mosquito is also known for the transmission of other serious diseases, including dengue fever, yellow fever, and chikungunya.

The Zika virus is transmitted by mosquitoes. And currently there is no vaccine to protect against the Zika virus.

Zika has reached Puerto Rico’s mosquitoes and may keep traveling north. Puerto Rico has reported the first locally-acquired Zika virus case in the United States in December 2015. The fear is that the disease may soon spread along the Gulf Coast. U.S. travelers may bring the virus back with them if infected while abroad and subsequently spread the disease in the U.S. if bitten by a mosquito.

THINGS YOU CAN DO TO REDUCE MOSQUITOES AROUND YOUR HOME:

• Keep your grass short
• Don’t over water
• Keep hedges and other hiding places trimmed and open
• Empty and clean bird baths regularly
• Keep ornamental ponds clean and circulating
• Keep wading pools and swimming pools clean and circulating
• Get rid of old tires, cans, bottles, and any other containers that collect rain or irrigation water
• Empty plant saucers every couple of days
• Keep gutters and downspouts clean and free running
• Water control is mosquito control
• Share this information with your neighbors-mosquitoes don’t honor property lines!
• Professional mosquito misting for your home’s perimeter and yard.

As a pest management professional, our responsibility is to inform and assist homeowners in mosquito reduction practices. If EXPEST can be of further assistance, give us a call, and “Leave the Pests to Us”.