PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona health officials say they hope to prevent the Zika virus from spreading in the state by taking steps to identify travelers who bring the mosquito-borne disease home with them.
“We are at high risk for imported cases,” Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, told public health leaders during Tuesday’s Arizona Zika Action Plan Summit.
The Zika virus, which has been circulating widely in Latin America, does not usually cause problems for adults but can lead to a serious birth defect called microcephaly, The Arizona Republic (https://bit.ly/1Xxl7Ia ) reported.
Three Maricopa County residents who traveled to Latin America have been diagnosed with Zika infections and state officials expect more cases this summer.
Officials want to prevent infected people from coming into contact with Aedes aegypti, the mosquito species that carries Zika. Christ said Zika hasn’t been found in Arizona mosquitoes yet and the state wants to keep it that way.
The state previously halted the spread of chikungunya and dengue viruses, which are also spread by the mosquito, said Christ.
Even with about 90 cases of chikungunya and dengue in the state, “we were able to keep that at no local transmission,” said Christ. “We have experience at this.”
Public health and environmental officials will visit the homes of people with suspected or confirmed Zika infections to set mosquito traps. They also encourage homeowners to eliminate pet bowls, flower pots, toys or other outside containers that carry standing water where mosquitoes breed.
Arizona will also begin tracking microcephaly cases for the first time. The birth defect causes abnormally small heads in newborns and a lack of brain development.
Officials say tracking such cases will create a baseline that can be used to determine whether the virus triggers more birth defects.
___
Information from: The Arizona Republic, https://www.azcentral.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.