Miltary members urged to learn how to prevent Zika virus

Up until about a month ago, unless you were studying rare tropical diseases, probably not. Now, you can’t turn on the TV or surf the web without seeing an article. So what’s the real story behind this virus that is spreading in South, Central America and the Caribbean?

Zika Virus is closely related to dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. It was first discovered in the forests of Uganda in 1947 and in early 2015, it made its way to Brazil.

Since then, it has continued to spread with local transmission now confirmed in most South and Central American countries and the Caribbean. For the most up-to-date listing of affected countries, visit http://www.cdc.gov.

An infection by the Zika virus typically goes unnoticed by 80 percent of people that become infected and is usually non-fatal. Those that do show symptoms generally have a mild illness lasting a week or less and rarely seek medical attention. Once a person recovers from infection, they are likely to be protected from re-infection.

The virus is typically spread through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitos commonly known as the Asian Tiger Mosquito and Yellow Fever mosquito. These mosquitoes are aggressive daytime biters and prefer to live in and around homes where they can easily feed on people. The virus, while rare, has also been demonstrated to spread from mother to fetus, through blood transfusion and through sexual activity.

The CDC recommends women who may be pregnant or are trying to become pregnant avoid or postpone travel to areas that may have current Zika transmission.

This is out of an over-abundance of caution as the relationship between the virus and microcephaly is uncertain. Microcephaly occurs when the baby is born with a small brain and skull due to abnormal brain development. Zika virus, similar to other viruses, is also suspected to be linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome.

There are currently studies underway to characterize the relationship between Zika virus, congenital microcephaly and GBS.

How can you protect yourself and others? Prevention is the first and vital step.

If you are planning on being outside for any length of time, wear long sleeves and pants, ideally one that have been treated with permethrin and use an EPA-registered insect repellent on exposed skin. This combination has been shown to reduce mosquito bites by 99 percent.

Look around your house and remove any mosquito breeding sites. This species is a master of exploiting man-made breeding areas and will lay eggs and develop in things such as abandoned tires, flower pots, buckets, cans and even bottle caps.

If you are traveling to an affected country, along with following the recommended mosquito personal protective measures, stay in accommodations that are air-conditioned and have screened windows and doors.

If this is not possible, sleep under a treated bed net. When you return, if you do feel ill, rest, drink lots of fluids, take Tylenol for fever or pain and stay indoors to avoid being bitten by mosquitos.

While no local mosquito-borne transmission has been identified in the United States, we do have the mosquitos here that can transmit the virus. Because the virus remains in the blood of an infected person for up to 10 days, returning travelers will most likely be the source of introduction of this virus to the country.

If you are pregnant, and you or your spouse has traveled to an affected country, talk to your healthcare provider. They can provide guidance with the most up -to-date recommendations.

The CDC also recommends that men who have lived in or traveled to an area with active transmission should abstain from sex or consistently use condoms, especially if their significant other is pregnant. It currently is not known how long the virus remains in the semen, possibly up to 10 weeks, but the CDC does not recommend screening of men at this time.

U.S. health officials do not anticipate widespread local transmission of the virus in the U.S. This is in part due to the lifestyle and culture here in the United States, and based on our experiences with dengue and chickungunya.

Every year, we see cases of these viruses in returning travelers with very limited local transmission. We anticipate Zika will act in the same way. The American Association of Blood Banks is also preventing spread through blood transfusions by deferring any donations from anyone who has traveled to an affected country with 28 days of donation.

Joint Base San Antonio, in coordination with the city, will continue to protect members at all locations. Mosquito trapping and testing for not only Zika virus, but West Nile, dengue and chikungunya will resume in late March when mosquito populations start to rise and the risk of transmission is the greatest.

Education is a top priority and all deployers are briefed on how to protect themselves and their families. JBSA health care professionals are also educated and remain ready to address any concerns.