Nashville, Murfreesboro and Mt. Juliet TN
Since Zika virus is carried and transmitted by a species of mosquito, it seems inevitable that it will eventually make its way to the United States. Since the weather is getting warmer, this could happen as early as this summer.
Here’s what you need to know to keep yourself and your family safe.
The Aedes albopictus mosquito is the primary carrier of the Zika virus, which has spread to 34 different countries and counting so far, and that species of mosquito already can be found in many areas of the United States. Data compiled by a team of Toronto scientists shows that the majority of the population in the United States lives in a climate where it is warm enough to harbor the mosquitoes that spread the Zika virus. More than 7 percent of Americans live where it stays warm enough for the Aedes albopictus mosquito to thrive year-round.
Zika is especially dangerous for pregnant women, or women who plan to become pregnant. There is a strong link between the virus and incidents of microcephaly, which is a neurological birth defect that occurs when a baby is born with an abnormally small head. Countries where Zika virus is prevalent also have seen a rapid increase in the number of cases of microcephaly.
Prepare now to protect yourself and your family for what Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health has called “a pandemic in progress.”
First, avoid travel to areas where there is an active infestation of Zika, especially if you are pregnant or plan on becoming pregnant. If travel to one of these countries is necessary, use an EPA-approved mosquito repellent applied over sunscreen, and wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts thick enough to form a barrier against mosquito bites.
If you are pregnant and traveled to a country where Zika is active, get tested for the virus within two to 12 weeks after returning home.
Next, safeguard yourself and your home against Zika before it infests the United States by “mosquito-proofing” your home. Empty any receptacles containing standing water outside your home, and then find a qualified pest control service to spray preventive pesticides that will repel mosquitoes.
If you have any additional questions about Zika virus or mosquitoes, contact the Ameri Care Services office located in Murfreesboro, TN by calling (615) 893-7111 for more information.
Ameri Care Services offers pest control services to meet the needs of customers located in Mt. Juliet, Hermitage, and Murfreesboro in middle Tennessee.