Public Health Officials Warn of Zika Virus

Public health officials in Georgia are urging people to be aware and use caution to help keep the Zika virus from establishing itself in Georgia.

State Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald said that so far, there have been nine confirmed cases of Zika virus in Georgia, all of which were acquired by people traveling.

She said none were transmitted in Georgia.

However, the virus remains a concern as the summer months approach and mosquitoes become more prevalent, as the bite of an infected mosquito is the main way it is transmitted.

To help prevent Zika virus from becoming an issue, state health officials are starting a campaign called “Tip and Toss.”

Dr. Chris Rustin is the Director of Environmental Health for the state’s Department of Public Health.

He said the campaign is aimed at taking away breeding grounds for mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus.

“We are encouraging Georgians to remove any standing water that is found around their home,” said Dr. Rustin. “These types of mosquitoes are container breeder mosquitoes, meaning typically grow in small containers, like flower pots, birdbaths. It could be something as small as a bottle cap. We are encouraging the public to clean up around their homes, to remove any items that are not necessary that contain water and then at least once a week and after any rain event, tip and toss, dump any water out of the containers that cannot be removed. This will help reduce the population of mosquito that we are most concerned about.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Fitzgerald said people also need to make sure they are using the right kind of insect repellent to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes, especially if they are traveling to an area where the Zika virus is more widespread.

“You have got to make sure that when you buy your insect repellent, it has 20 to 30 percent deet in it,” said Dr. Fitzgerald. “Most of the over-the-counter products will not have that much in it. If you are traveling, if you are going to the islands, you want to use it the entire time you are there and you also want to use it for about three weeks after you get back because most adults will not know they have the virus in their blood but they can still transmit, so we want to make sure it does not get established in the Georgia mosquito population.”

Dr. Fitzgerald said that Zika virus poses a very small risk to adults in most cases.

However, she said the threat of the virus is to developing babies.

“That appears to be a very significant risk,” said Dr. Fitzgerald. “In Brazil, where five years ago we did not even have the virus, we now have over 500 laboratory confirmed instances of babies with underdeveloped brains and small heads and we have up to 4000 cases suspected. They just have not been laboratory confirmed yet.”

For more information on the Zika virus or the “Tip and Toss” campaign, go online to the Department of Public Health’s website at www.dph.georgia.gov.