Fighting Zika together

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cody R. Miller
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Airmen from Tyndall Air Force Base attended a meeting concerning the containment and reduction of Zika virus carriers, Aug. 22, 2016.

Representatives from the 325th Aerospace Medicine Squadron Public Health Flight joined public health community agencies from organizations throughout Florida at the “Zika Caucus” to share knowledge on the best methods to combat the Zika virus at the Florida State University Bland Conference Center Panama City, Fla.

“The big benefit with this is that people from all over have a chance to come together and communicate,” said Dr. John Smith, Florida State University medical entomologist. “A lot of these agencies are working on their own and providing a lot of protection, but this allows them to share knowledge and strategies that work to make our community safer. We have lab workers, environmental health agencies, pest control companies, health department and military that have all come out to show their support.”

The Tyndall Airmen that attended the meeting collaborated with the community to combat the virus. The Zika virus effects everyone whether they’re military or civilian and the community as a whole benefits from the closer ties established at these types of events.

This meeting is in response to the growing concern surrounding the Zika virus. According to the Florida Health Department website, the fever from the Zika virus is a mild illness caused by a mosquito-borne virus similar to those that cause dengue and West Nile virus infections. It has been identified in several countries in Central and South America, Mexico and the Caribbean since 2015.

Mosquitos are the primary means in which the virus is spread, as such controlling the mosquito population is vital to reducing the Zika virus’ ability to spread.

“Our main strategy when it comes to dealing with the Zika virus is informing the base population on how to avoid it,” said Capt. Alysha Do, 325th AMDS entomologist. “We try to put signs up and supply as much informational material as possible around the residential areas. These mosquitos that transmit the virus are “container breeders” and can breed in even a teaspoon of liquid. Even a bottle cap left out in the yard can produce these insects. The biggest solution is home prevention, everyone needs to be proactive in emptying out any standing water in their home or around their work centers.”

Treatment is symptomatic since there is no specific treatment against the virus. Illness typically resolves within a week. Signs and symptoms of Zika fever may include: acute onset of low-grade fever, rash, joint pain, reddening of eye, body aches, headache, eye pain and vomiting. Only about one in five people infected with Zika will have visible symptoms.

A larger concern is the effect the virus can have on pregnant women. The Ministry of Health of Brazil has reported an increase in the numbers of newborns with microcephaly in areas experiencing Zika virus outbreaks. Microcephaly is a medical condition in which the brain does not develop properly resulting in a smaller than normal head. Further studies are being conducted to investigate the long term effects of the virus. There are many causes of microcephaly in babies, including genetic abnormalities, environmental factors, and some infections acquired during pregnancy.

Currently the Florida Health Department has ten active investigations in areas of Florida where the Zika virus has been identified. These investigations include door to door outreach, sampling, mosquito abatement and reduction activities.

For more information visit http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/zika-virus/index.html?utm_source=flhealthIndex