Texas Mosquito Control Speaks Out About ZIKA! Specifics about Mosquitoes & Travel

Stay away from areas infested with Zika. When you travel, you are beyond the protection provided by your Texas Mosquito Control misting system. Especially outside of the United States, the Aedes Aegypti and Aedes Albopictus carry or “vector” the disease from and infected individual to a healthy individual. Much of our own knowledge and research emanates from our relationships with the experts at Texas A&M Agrilife Extension. The following referenced information comes directly from “Insects in the City” and it is worth the read:

Precautions For Travelers

Texas’ proximity to Mexico and other Latin American countries where Zika is common, making it one of the highest risk areas for Zika in the United States. Anyone traveling to and from areas where the Zika virus is present should take special precautions to avoid getting the virus or spreading it to others. This includes avoiding mosquito-infested areas, wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants when in mosquito prone areas, and using a good repellent. In addition to being careful to avoid Zika when traveling, it’s important to avoid passing on the Zika virus when you return home. Even travelers who feel well can pass on the Zika virus. Eighty percent of those who get Zika will not know they have been infected. To minimize this risk, returning travelers should wear repellent for at least a week to avoid the possibility of introducing the virus to your community.

Travel Precautions for Women

Stay away from areas infested with Zika. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises pregnant women to consider canceling travel to countries in Central America, South America, or the South Pacific, where Zika is common. If you contract Zika, you can infect others through the bite of a mosquito for about a week. For more information on travel precautions pertaining to Zika, see www.cdc.gov/zika. Do not have sex with a recent visitor to a Zika-infested area. It is also possible to catch Zika from a man who has recently contracted the virus. If your partner has traveled to a Zika-infested area lately, abstain from sex or use condoms for 6 months after his exposure, the period when Zika virus can survive in semen and infect a female or male partner.

Insects in the City – Mosquitoes
Sonja L. Swiger, Assistant Professor, and Extension Livestock/Veterinary Entomologist
Michael Merchant, Professor, and Extension Urban Entomologist