New Hanover County health officials are sounding an early warning concerning the spread of the Zika virus, encouraging residents to help with mosquito control as the weather warms up this spring and summer.
The county invited local media to a briefing with senior health officials, which they said shows the concerns over the potential for the Zika virus to spread this summer.
New Hanover County Department of Health Director Dave Rice said the county was prepared with a quick response should any cases occur in New Hanover County.
“We need help with source control,” Rice said. “We’re focused on prevention and protection.”
For most, the effect of a Zika virus infection is mild. The symptoms last only a few days, a week at most. Rest is usually all that’s needed to recover from an infection and 80 percent of people infected with the virus won’t show any symptoms at all, the Center for Disease Control reports.
But health officials raised worldwide concerns about the virus recently when a rise of birth defects in infants born in Brazil was believed to be connected to a Zika virus outbreak in the country. Officials are still studying whether the presence of the virus in pregnant women is behind a suspected rise in infants born with microcephaly, which results in an abnormally small head and brain.
Dr. Jessica Burkett, medical director of the New Hanover County Department of Health, said Zika can spread from a pregnant mother to her infant at any stage in the pregnancy.
The Zika virus is spread through the bites of two breeds of mosquito, including the Asian tiger mosquito that is prevalent in New Hanover County.
“To do a good job of mosquito control, you have to do a lot of surveillance,” said Marie Hemmen, vector control for the New Hanover County Department of Health.
NHC vector control will survey for larvae and map for populations. The Asian tiger mosquito primarily bites in the daytime and is known for its aggressiveness. The mosquito is seasonal locally, generally from May to October, though Hemmen said the mosquito can come as early as April.
Hemmer urged residents to take extra precautions to prevent standing water where mosquitos can breed, including buckets, tires, leaky faucets, trash containers, bird baths, flower pots and pools. She said one common source of mosquito breeding are the trays underneath planters that can collect water.
The county recommends residents “tip and toss” water at least every five days. It’s part of the county’s joint effort to both maintain source reduction and educate the public, including holding presentations at school groups, home owners associations and community groups, Hemmen said.
There have been Zika infection cases in the United States, but so far, all are associated with travel to tropical areas where the virus is more common. The closest cases to North Carolina are located in Virginia, Georgia and Florida.
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