Protecting yourself at home and abroad
- When possible, avoid places and times when mosquitoes bite.
- Use insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), or IR3535.
- Cover exposed skin by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants, socks and hats.
- Stay and sleep in screened or air-conditioned rooms. Ensure all screens are in good repair.
- Use a bed net if the area where you are sleeping is exposed to the outdoors.
- Use permethrin-treated clothing and gear.
- Eliminate standing water in and around homes and ensure that water is removed weekly from potential breeding grounds, such as tires, buckets, pet bowls, birdbaths, rain gutters and pool covers.
- Repair cracks or gaps in septic tanks and cover open vents or plumbing pipes.
Source: Indiana Health Department
Indiana had its first confirmed case of the Zika virus on Feb. 9, according to state health officials.
The case was in a non-pregnant resident who had recently traveled to Haiti, but the illness was not severe enough for hospitalization.
State health officials are urging residents, especially pregnant women, to use caution when traveling to countries where the Zika virus has been detected and to take steps to protect against mosquito-borne illnesses at home and abroad.
“Diseases do not recognize borders, especially when they’re transmitted by insects,” Indiana State Health Commissioner Jerome Adams said. “The best defense against Zika virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses is to protect yourself from being bitten and eliminate breeding grounds."
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Zika virus to be an international public health emergency following growing concerns that it could cause birth defects.
In the midst of the concerns, Ball State has three students on study abroad programs in South and Central America, said Director of Study Abroad International programs John Jensen.
Allison Wilson, a junior digital sports production major, is currently studying abroad in San Jose, Costa Rica, at Veritas University to work on her Spanish minor.
Wilson, who has been abroad for a little more than a month, said conversations about Zika in the classroom began less than a week into classes.
“Mosquitos are a huge concern, and the Zika virus only amplified that worry,” Wilson said in an email. “During our orientation on the second day in the country, the faculty spent an hour giving a presentation about mosquitos: what to do to repel them, who to call if you find standing water and how important it is to get checked out once you get back into the states.”
Costa Rican health authorities have only detected two people infected with the mosquito-borne virus — and both were suspected of having contracted Zika elsewhere in Latin America.
“I have actually reported a case of standing water in the form of a pothole in the sidewalk, Wilson said. “Within a week the hole was filled in and that water no longer provides a feeding ground for mosquitos.”
Wilson said local citizens are obligated to report all instances of standing water to a local humanitarian group or even by 911, and of all the Latin American countries, Costa Rica is the “most safe” when it comes to mosquitos because of “all the prior precautions they take.”
“We are all required to wear bug repellant at all times. It is not just a suggestion for deep wood hikes. It is equal to putting on your deodorant,” Wilson said. “In the morning, you spray yourself like perfume, ignoring the incredibly horrible smell.”
Despite concerns by health officials, Wilson said Ball State has yet to comment or reach out to her about any issues related to Zika, which Wilson said “is a little disappointing.”
The U.S. embassy has, however, sent multiple warnings, and the Costa Rican embassy has also been in contact with students regarding what to do if they think they may have contracted Zika, she said.
More than 3,100 pregnant Columbian women are infected with the mosquito-borne virus, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Feb. 6, as the disease continues to spread across the Americas.
Zika is thought to be responsible for nearly 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly, a birth defect marked by an abnormally small head size that can result in developmental problems. Researchers have identified evidence of the Zika infection in 17 of these cases, either in the baby or in the mother, but have not confirmed that Zika can cause microcephaly.
As many as four million people could be infected by the Zika virus by end of the year, according to WHO.
Outbreaks of Zika have previously been reported in tropical Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, and the virus likely will continue to spread to new areas.
In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infection in Brazil, and since then, local transmission has been reported in many other countries and territories.
To date, local-borne transmission of Zika has not been identified in the continental United States, and is unlikely to appear, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
As of Feb. 4, 35 travel-associated Zika virus disease cases had been reported to the CDC. In Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, nine locally acquired vector-borne cases have been accounted for.
As the 2016 Rio Olympics also approach, chatter about U.S. participation has already started to spread. The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) is not suggesting any athletes skip going to the Rio 2016 Olympic games in August, but USOC officials said they are working with the International Olympic Committee to locate potential danger areas for participants, employees and spectators.
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