Expert Warns ‘Never Fall Behind’ When Trying To Control Zika Mosquitoes
Health officials in states across the country are trying to get ahead of the Zika threat.
NPR:
To Kill Mosquitoes That Spread Zika, Strike Before They Fly
In the marshy woods of Secaucus, N.J., a mosquito can make a happy home. With water and shade under a canopy of maple trees, you could barely ask for more to start your own bloodsucking family. For Gary Cardini, though, this is a battleground. "You want to get them in the water before they're flying," explains Cardini, who supervises the field team for Hudson County Mosquito Control. "In the water, they're captive. You know where they are." (Lo Wang, 5/25)
Health News Florida:
Central Florida Lab Testing For Zika
A central Florida lab can now test mosquitoes for the Zika virus. County workers at Mosquito Control departments across the state can now send mosquitoes to the Bronson Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Kissimmee. Once there, the insects are tested for Zika and its viral cousins, Dengue and chickungunya. (Aboraya, 5/26)
Miami Herald:
Four New Zika Cases In Florida, Including Two In Miami-Dade
Florida health officials confirmed four new Zika infections on Wednesday, including two cases in Miami-Dade and one each in St. Johns and Seminole counties, raising the statewide total to 154 people who have contracted the virus this year, including 36 pregnant women. In Miami-Dade, where most of Florida’s Zika cases have been reported, 46 people have been infected with the virus, said the state health department, but the disease has not been transmitted locally by mosquito bites. (Chang, 5/25)
The Associated Press:
Florida Has Only Half Of Mosquito Traps Due To Backlog
Florida has less than half of the special traps that will be part of the frontline for detecting the Zika virus in mosquitoes because of a backlog at the manufacturer, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said Thursday. (5/26)
Minnesota Public Radio:
Officials Monitoring Two Minnesota Women Who Contracted Zika Virus While Pregnant
State health officials are monitoring two Minnesota women who contracted the Zika virus while pregnant. In one case, a woman traveled to El Salvador and then got sick. The other was a sexually transmitted infection from her husband who had been in Haiti. (Benson, 5/26)