With the World Health Organization declaring the mosquito-borne Zika virus a “public health emergency,” we asked an expert about concerns Ohioans should have. The declaration simply means mutual aid, or help from the federal government.
The Zika virus isn’t new but what is — is how it’s impacting pregnant women, causing severe birth defects in babies in Brazil, where the virus has reached an epidemic level.
Medina County Health Commissioner Krista Wasowski says the virus shouldn’t make pregnant women in the Buckeye State worry, unless you have a loved one traveling to an area where Zika is prevalent.
“It does occur in the southern part of our country, but the exact species of mosquito that we know can transmit the virus does not exist right now in Ohio,” explains Wasowski. “We also don’t have Zika virus occuring in humans in Ohio.”
Although there have been several reported cases of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in the southern U.S., Wasowski says you have a far greater chance of getting the flu here in northeast Ohio.
You can learn more about Zika virus, including symptoms, travel advisories, prevention and more on the Medina County Health Department’s website: http://www.medinahealth.org/info/zika.
