WEST NILE VIRUS
MOSQUITO FISH
SENIORS ARE A GREATEST RISK
 

 

The San Diego County Vector Control Program (VCP) is a branch within the County of San Diego - Department of Environmental Health. A "vector" is an animal or insect that can carry and pass on a human disease. Some examples of vectors in San Diego County are mosquitoes, ticks and rodents.

 

Share the News
Report Mosquito Breeding
Report Dead Birds
Report Green Swimming Pools
Request a Presentation
For More Information Contact:
(858) 694-2888

vector@sdcounty.ca.gov
 
aedes-aegypti-mosquito

Zika Virus: What You Should Know

 

The Zika virus, first identified in Uganda in 1947, and is transmitted by the same type of mosquito that carries dengue virus, yellow fever virus and Chikungunya.

The more people get infected,
the more likely the virus is to spread.

A mosquito bites an infected person and then passes those viruses to other people it bites.People infected with Zika virus don't infect one another. But, just as with malaria, people are the source for spreading the virus. A female mosquito bites an infected person and then can carry the virus to the next person she bites, so when people travel,they can bring the virus with them.

CDC Travel Alert to Areas Afected by the Zika Virus.

Pregnant women are urged to protect themselves by preventing mosquito bites. The CDC has issued a travel alert (Level 2-Practice Enhanced Precautions) for people traveling to regions and certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing: Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. This alert follows reports in Brazil of microcephaly and other poor pregnancy outcomes in babies of mothers who were infected with Zika virus while pregnant.

CDC recommends special precautions for pregnant women and women trying to become pregnant:

Pregnant women in any trimester should consider postponing travel to the areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing. Pregnant women, and wmen trying to become pregnant who must travel to one of these areas should talk to their doctor or other healthcare provider first and strictly follow steps to avoid mosquito bites during the trip.

The Zika virus is transmitted by the same mosquito that also can transmit Dengue, Chinchengkuya and Yellow Fever, this is an Aedes mosquito. Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat Zika. Four in five people who acquire Zika infection may have no symptoms. Illness from Zika is usually mild and does not require hospitalization.

 

 

 
  Travelers are strongly urged to protect themselves by preventing mosquito bites:
 

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants
• Use EPA-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), or IR3535. Always use as directed.
Insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, and IR3535 are safe for pregnant and nursing women and children older than 2 months when used according to the product label. Oil of lemon eucalyptus products should not be used on children under 3 years of age.
• Use permethrin-treated clothing and gear (such as boots, pants, socks, and tents).
• Stay and sleep in screened-in or air-conditioned rooms.


CDC is working with public health experts across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take additional steps related to Zika. CDC is developing interim guidance for pregnant women as well as sharing additional information about Zika with public health officials, clinicians and the public.

For more information about Zika please visit:

www.cdc.gov/zika

 
 
 
 

County of San Diego Vector Control Program

Urged People to

“Prevent, Protect, Report.”