According to the CDC, both types currently inhabit more than half of the continental United States. Both of the mosquitoes that carry Zikaâthe Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictusâhunt during the day, as well as at dawn and dusk. Second, Americans are spending more time outside in the summer. Related: Save blame for later, it's time to work together to solve the opioid crisisįirst, Americans routinely travel to Zika-infested countries, are infected, and bring the virus home with them. However, experts agree that it is simply a matter of time before this happens, for several reasons. By recommending the use of EPA-approved insecticides and other methods, physicians can help patients avoid vector-borne infection.Īs of early summer, the CDC had not reported any cases of direct transmission of the virus by mosquitoes to humans in the United States. More healthcare news: Is Obamacare really making America healthier?īy discussing the risks of Zika with patients, especially following travel to Zika-concentrated areas such as Brazil and Puerto Rico, and advocating the use of condoms for any type of sexual intercourseâeven among monogamous couplesâphysicians can help patients avoid sexual transmission of the disease.
CDC-advocated mosquito control programs are now widespread in the United States. The states reviewed preparedness plans that include CDC Emergency Response Teams ready to deploy should an outbreak occur. Nonetheless, the CDC recently held a briefing with governors from the states most likely to be affected by localized Zika outbreaksâ≊labama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, and Texas. Also, the mosquito populationâthe ratio of mosquitoes to peopleâin the United States is lower than in countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia, and others, where Zika is currently more prevalent.
The disease may well not spread as easily in the United States because living conditionsâthe use of air conditioning, closed windows in the summer, and window screens, among others â are very different compared with countries where Zika is epidemic. However, not all healthcare providers are convinced that Zika poses an imminent threat to Americans.
Physicians can educate patients about Zika in order to prevent microcephaly and other birth defects caused by the virus, as well as Guillain-Barré syndrome and newly detected Zika-related eye injury in any infected adult. ICYMI: What the new rules on overtime pay mean to physician practices Physicianâs discussions about prevention are crucially important.â âIt could travel as far north as Maine. Damle, MD, MS, FACP, a founding and managing partner at South County Internal Medicine Inc. ÂYou will start to see Zika cases transmitted by mosquitoes in the southern United States,â says Nitin S.
Thousands of other people are infected nationwide. Hundreds of pregnant women are infected with the virus and are being monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in New York, Texas and other states.
With every passing summer day, the Zika virus alarm becomes more urgent in the United States, making it more important that physicians both address it and dispel rumors with their patients.