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Icon prohibitory sign with a mosquito. Stock vector illustration.
The Zika virus, primarily transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito, has caused concern across the globe over its links to babies born with severe birth defects. Though outbreaks have been centered in Central and South America, health experts in the U.S. -- in particular southern states -- have taken notice, as have local mosquito-abatement businesses.
“All cases of Zika virus that have been diagnosed in the United States are travel-associated, meaning no one has been diagnosed in the U.S. that acquired the virus locally,” Dr. Derek Forster, medical director for infection prevention and control for UK HealthCare, said during a recent news conference about the virus.
Aedes
The primary Zika-carrying mosquito, known as aegypti, can be found during the summer months in several states, including Kentucky. At present, there is no available vaccine to combat the virus, though research is ongoing. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a person with Zika virus disease may experience joint pain and flu-like symptoms that usual resolve in a matter of days without medical intervention. However, many pregnant women who became infected have given birth to babies suffering microcephaly, a severe deformity that results in poor brain development and unusually small skulls.
“We have been telling pregnant patients to postpone travel to areas with outbreaks of Zika virus,” said Dr. Wendy Hansen, chief of the UK Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “We also are counseling and advising patients on what to do if they have partners that plan to or have traveled to these areas.”
Several companies in the Lexington area promise to help reduce the number of mosquitoes in residential and commercial areas.
“We spray the perimeter of the property and take care of shrubs, low-laying tree limbs, foliage and pool and deck areas; any wet and cool spots where mosquitoes harbor,” said Angie Bivens, customers service representative for abatement company Mosquito Joe.
“It does kill them,” said Bivens. “We have two types of sprays. One is a barrier spray that is produced from the chrysanthemum flower. It does not harm people or pets or pollinators like bees but kills mosquitoes. We have a second all-natural formula that includes rosemary and peppermint, two very strong scents that mosquitoes don’t like. It doesn’t kill them, but repels them.”
Mosquito Joe charges by the acre, breaking it down to as small an area as an eighth of acre. Treating a half-acre costs about $69, according to Bivens. She said that, so far, customers haven’t been focused on the Zika threat.
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is responsible for treating public areas. “We started spraying on June 1 and we have routes that we travel throughout Lexington,” said Luke Mathis, an environmental health official for the department.
“Historically, we also know of specific locations in the city where mosquito numbers have been high,” Mathis said. “We send inspectors out. We have a compound we place in stagnant water that prevents mosquitoes from developing once they lay eggs in the water.”
Because of the distance from Zika hotspots, as well as the abatement efforts, Forster, the UK HealthCare director, said an outbreak here remains unlikely.
“For Kentucky specifically, I think that risk is pretty low,” he said.
Still, professionals are tracking the virus and keeping lines of communication open.
“We have been working closely with local health departments across Kentucky as well as with the Centers for Disease Control,” said Dr. Phillip Chang, chief medical officer for UK HealthCare. “The theme over and over again is prevention. We should be talking about this before we see any problems.”