Southern Nevada Health District reports second Zika case

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 28, 2016

Southern Nevada Health District reports second Zika case

LAS VEGAS ? The Southern Nevada Health District is reporting the second confirmed case of Zika virus in a Clark County resident. The patient is an adult female who recently traveled to Brazil.

"The Health District continues to test people in keeping with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We do expect that we will report more positive cases in the future. However, it is important for the public to continue to understand that to date these cases have all been acquired outside of the United States," said Dr. Joe Iser, Chief Health Officer for the Southern Nevada Health District.

The Health District continues to stress the Zika virus is primarily spread though the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. This species of mosquito has not currently been identified in Southern Nevada. The Health District's Vector Control Program is equipped to trap and identify this specific species, as it has been found in neighboring states.

The most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). Additional symptoms can include muscle pain and headache. The virus is usually mild, and four out of five people infected will not know they have the disease. Patients usually don't require hospitalization, and Zika rarely results in death.

People traveling to areas where Zika is known to be spreading should take precautions to protect themselves from mosquito bites. Additionally, the CDC is recommending that all travelers returning from an area with Zika take steps to prevent mosquito bites for up to three weeks, even if they do not feel sick. Men returning from areas with Zika, even without symptoms, are advised that if they have pregnant partners they should wear condoms the right way every time they have sex during the pregnancy, and with all partners.

The Health District advises anyone who is concerned they may have been exposed to Zika virus, and who has traveled to an area where the virus is circulating to consult with a health care provider. A Zika virus diagnosis is based on travel history, clinical signs and symptoms, and laboratory blood tests. Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent Zika virus disease, and no specific treatment for the infection.

In addition to mosquito bites, Zika can be passed from a mother to her baby during pregnancy, and it can spread during sex from a man to his partners. Spread of the virus through blood transfusion has also been reported and is being investigated. The CDC continues to investigate a potential link to pregnant women who are infected with the virus and an increase in birth defects. The CDC is recommending special precautions for pregnant women, women who are trying to get pregnant, and their partners.

Up to date CDC recommendations and travel advisories are available on the CDC website.

Access information about the Southern Nevada Health District on its website: www.SNHD.info. Follow the Health District on Facebook: www.facebook.com/SouthernNevadaHealthDistrict, YouTube: www.youtube.com/SNHealthDistrict, and Twitter: www.twitter.com/SNHDinfo. The Health District is available in Spanish on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TuSNHD. Don't have a Twitter account? Follow the Health District on your phone by texting "follow SNHDinfo" to 40404. Additional information and data can be accessed through the Healthy Southern Nevada website: www.HealthySouthernNevada.org.

http://southernnevadahealthdistrict...-health-district-reports-second-zika-case.php

 

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Nevada- Washoe County reports first travel related confirmed Zika case

Washoe County Announcement

Washoe County reports first confirmed Zika case

Symptoms consistent with Zika virus developed after returning from travel to El Salvador.

Media Release
For Immediate Release
www.washoecounty.us/health
Contact: Phil Ulibarri
pulibarri@washoecounty.us
775.328.2414 or 775.772.1659

RENO, NV - A female adult with recent travel history to a Zika-affected country is the first confirmed Zika case in Washoe County according to health officials. The woman developed symptoms consistent with Zika virus after returning from travel to El Salvador. Those symptoms included joint pain, body ache, fever, conjunctivitis, chills, abdominal pain, headache and rash. Her symptoms resolved within a week. The woman is one of twelve individuals in Washoe County who have been tested in recent weeks. No other positive results have been received to date.

"We will continue to monitor the lab tests we have submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," said Washoe County District Health Officer Kevin Dick. "We know that the general public is concerned about the rise in the number of Zika cases, so this serves as a reminder that people going to Zika-affected countries, particularly those that are pregnant or intending to become pregnant, should take precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes while traveling." Zika virus can be spread from a pregnant woman to her fetus and has been linked to a serious birth defect of the brain called microcephaly in babies of mothers who had Zika virus while pregnant.

Zika virus is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito (Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus). To date, Zika has not been spread by mosquitoes in the continental United States. However, lab tests have confirmed Zika virus in travelers returning to the United States from areas with Zika. Zika virus can also be spread during sex by a man infected with Zika to his partners. Some non-travelers in the United States have become infected with Zika through sex with a traveler.

According to local health officials, the mosquitoes known to carry Zika virus are not indigenous to our area. While the mosquito may find its way to northern Nevada, it is not known whether the insect can survive in our climate. The best way to prevent diseases spread by mosquitoes is to protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites.

Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.

Stay in places with air conditioning and window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside.

Treat your clothing and gear with DEET or permethrin or buy pre-treated items.

Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents. https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents

Sleep under a mosquito bed net if air conditioned or screened rooms are not available or if sleeping outdoors.

To learn more, please visit CDC's Zika virus page at http://www.cdc.gov/zika/index.html.

https://www.washoecounty.us/outreach/2016/03/2016-04-11-zika-positive-1.php