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Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are working with the Florida Department of Health to investigate the first Zika case that appears to have no connection to travel or sexual contact transmission.
Mayo Clinic internal medicine specialist Dr. Vandana Bhide from Mayo Clinic's campus in Jacksonville, Florida, says the challenge is determining if there is now an infected population of mosquitoes in the U.S.
Listen to Dr. Vandana Bhide discuss Zika virus.
“We know which mosquitoes carry the Zika virus, and they are very common and like being around people,” says Dr. Bhide. “The concern is that we don’t yet know if there is an infected mosquito population here in the U.S. or if there is some other person-to-person spread.”
"Identifying a population of mosquitoes that are infected with the Zika virus is not a simple process, despite the tracking and monitoring of the insects," says Dr. Bhide. “Now is the time when we need to think about this,” she adds, noting that the best defense against infection is to avoid being bitten.
To avoid mosquito bites, you should:
- Control environmental factors, such as standing water.
- Stay indoors more.
- Use insect repellant or protection such as mosquito nets.
According to local Florida news reports, health officials say they are investigating a second possible case of Zika spread locally.
Related posts:
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Zika Endemic Areas (April 22, 2016)
- Zika Virus: Four Myths and What You Need to Know (April 18, 2016)
- Zika Virus News: Birth Defect Link Confirmed (April 14, 2016)
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Protect Yourself From Zika Virus (April 8, 2016)
- Zika Virus: CDC Guidelines and Pregnancy (April 1, 2016)
- Should Women Wait to Get Pregnant If Traveling to Zika-Endemic Area? (March 15, 2016)
- Developing a Vaccine to Protect Against Zika Virus (March 8, 2016)
- Mayo Clinic Begins Development of Zika Virus Vaccine (March 7, 2016)
- Further Investigation Needed on Zika Link to Guillain-Barré Syndrome (March 3, 2016)
- Zika Virus and Microcephaly: Need for More Research (Feb. 22, 2016)
- Guillain-Barré Syndrome and Zika: Is There a Connection? (Feb. 17, 2016)
- Zika Virus Impacts Blood Donations (Feb. 5, 2016)
- Transmission of Zika Virus and Dangers of Mosquitoes (Feb. 4, 2016)
- WHO Says Microcephaly-Zika Virus Link International Emergency (Feb. 1, 2016)
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Zika Virus (Jan. 21, 2016)
Journalists: Sound bites are in the downloads.
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