The mosquito-borne Zika virus is making news headlines
around the world. People most affected by it are from South and Latin America . Brazil has been hit most hard. In
the United States ,
a few cases have been reported. Health Briefs TV reviews steps Americans can
take to prevent mosquito bites and possibly Zika infection.
The US Centers for Disease Control reports the Zika virus is
transmitted through mosquito bites. Most common symptoms are fever, rash, joint
pain and conjunctivitis (red eyes). Symptoms are usually mild and can last a
few days to a week. Left untreated, it can be more severe.
One of the easiest way to prevent mosquito bites is to be
well-prepared when and where they bite most often. Below are some preventative
steps people can take:
Empty all outdoor objects that hold standing water.
Mosquitoes breed in them.
Wear light-colored long-sleeved shirts and long pants with
shoes and socks when outdoors when mosquitoes are most prevalent. Buy a bug
repellent which contains a good amount of DEET or picardin. For
a list of the top brands which carry these ingredients, Consumer Reports,
usually a members-only organization, released their list of the best bugrepellents. Some are more organic than others. Whichever one of these people choose,
the Health Briefs TV show encourages readers to protect themselves from bites.
Mosquito populations are most active at dawn and dusk for several hours. Avoid swampy areas. Avoid traveling to
countries where the virus is widespread.
Prevention is the key to not becoming infected
with the Zika virus.
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| (image:healthline.com) |
