Officials are warning about how to avoid Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases, as warmer temperatures usher in mosquito season.
Already this year, 19 cases of Zika have been reported in Maryland and 13 have been reported in the District. Of the Maryland cases, four were in Baltimore and two were on the Eastern Shore.
“From a mosquito control standpoint, the most important thing is eliminating breeding zones,” said Jason Schellhardt, a spokesman for the Maryland Department of Agriculture.
“This species [Aedes] breeds in containers of standing water: storm gutters, plastic toys, tarps, tires, neglected swimming pools — even containers as small as a bottle cap are capable of breeding mosquitoes,” Mr. Schellhardt said.
The department recommends that residents to eliminate standing water around their homes and encourage neighbors to do the same.
Other recommendations include avoiding being outside early and late in the day — the times mosquitoes most frequently fly. Officials recommend using repellant and wearing loose-fitting clothing, long sleeves and pants.
When sitting outside, use yellow “bug lights” instead of regular incandescent bulbs, the department advises. Using a fan also will help blow mosquitoes away.
Maryland had 170 reported cases of Zika between 2015 and last year.
The Zika virus most commonly is spread through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, typically in subtropic regions. An infected person can pass the virus to someone through unprotected sex.
Symptoms can include fever, rash, joint pain or conjunctivitis, but an infected person might not show any symptoms.
The biggest threats of Zika are to pregnant women, who can suffer miscarriages or have children born with birth defects such as microcephaly, which is the underdevelopment of the brain and head.
There is no cure Zika, but researchers at the National Institutes of Health hope to have a vaccine by 2019.
From January 2015 to last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recorded more than 5,000 cases of Zika in 49 states. Alaska is the only state without a Zika case.
According to a survey by the Orkin pest control company, areas of particular risk for the public include the Southeast, 21 metropolitan areas had the highest number of customers served for disturbances by mosquitoes.
Atlanta had the highest number of customers affected by mosquitoes, followed by the District, Chicago and New York City.
The survey was compiled by the number of mosquito customers served from April 2016 to March.
“Mosquitoes are a public health threat,” Orkin entomologist Mark Beavers said in a press release. “Zika will likely be a problem again this year.”
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