West Nile bigger threat than Zika virus in SD

Mosquitos in South Florida transmitting Zika virus

If theres good advice for most South Dakotans regarding the Zika virus, its this: worry less about Zika and more about West Nile.

Those are the sentiments of South Dakota state epidemiologist Lon Kightlinger, who said most people in the state are safe from Zika if they dont travel to countries where the virus is. And if they do, they should be fine if they follow mosquito repellent rules like wearing long sleeves and repellent.

If youre pregnant or planning to get pregnant in the next two months, dont travel to those countries, Kightlinger said. For South Dakotans, its quite simple.

The Zika virus itself is not the cause for concern, experts say. Symptoms include a fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis or red eyes.

The signature danger of Zika is an infection during pregnancy that can cause a birth defect called microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects. Babies can also be born with eye defects, hearing deficits, and impaired growth.

The disease itself is not that severe, Kightlinger said. Its how stunningly and tragically bad the birth defects are. Thats what makes it so bad.

The Zika virus is spread mostly by the bite of an infected mosquito, an aggressive daytime biter, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.On Friday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott confirmed that four people in the Miami area are believed to have contracted the virus locally through mosquito bites. But health officials do not expect widespread outbreaks in this country.

The virus, of which there is no vaccination for, can be transmitted sexually. The CDC recently announced the first report of female-to-male sexual transmission of Zika. All previously reported cases of sexually transmitted Zika virus infection had been spread from men to their s*x partners.

The CDC recommends not having s*x or using condoms during the entirety of a pregnancy or if someone has a male partner who lives in or has traveled to an area with Zika.

That area includes Rio De Janeiro, where the 2016 Summer Olympics are set to kick off Aug. 5. Other countries include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.

If youre set to travel to one of those countries and you are in the high-risk category, consider going somewhere else, Kightlinger said.

If youre pregnant, go to Hawaii or Spain for vacation, he said.

And for those sitting tight, theres little to worry about.

In South Dakota, we just dont have mosquitos transmitting it, unlike West Nile, he said.

The Zika virus symptoms in an adult are very similar to West Nile, Kightlinger said, but people usually dont get sick enough to go to the hospital, and very rarely die.

West Nile, on the other hand, is also transmitted through infected mosquitos and has killed 32 people in South Dakota since 2002. More than 2,200 people have been infected since then and there have been six cases so far this year.

In South Dakota, we should put 99 percent of our effort in to West Nile, Kightlinger said. I know Zika is in the news, but its not here and very unlikely to spread.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Source: http://rapidcityjournal.com/lifestyles/west-nile-bigger-threat-than-zika-virus-in-sd/article_53974986-a721-573b-878f-5ca168339e2a.html