Public Health Emergency PreparednessPublic Health Emergency Preparedness

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Arbovirus

About Zika

Zika virus is spread to people through mosquito bites which makes it a part of the group of arboviruses. Symptoms of Zika can include fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes) but not necessarily all of them.  Many individuals infected with Zika often do not realize they have it because the illness is usually mild and the symptoms overlap with other more common diseases.  Symptoms usually last from several days to a week with severe disease that requires hospitalization uncommon.

CDC has issued travel notices for people traveling to regions and certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing.

 

Zika Prevention

Mosquito season is upon us and everyone should take appropriate steps to protect themselves and their family. The majority of mosquitoes will be nuisance mosquitoes, NOT disease carrying mosquitoes. Precautions to prevent mosquito bites should still be taken however.

To personally protect your self from mosquito bites, remember the “4 D’s”:

  • Dress- wear light colored, long sleeves and pants when you are outside
  • Drain- Regularly drain standing water, including water that collects in empty cans, tires, buckets, clogged rain gutters and saucers under potted plants. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water
  • DEET- use mosquito repellants high in DEET content for best protection
  • Dusk/Dawn- Avoid being outside during dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.

Fort Bend County Road & Bridge and Health & Human Services departments actively monitor and control the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.

For the latest information regarding the Zika virus in Fort Bend County, click here.

 

Zika and Pregnancy

The CDC has identified Zika virus as a cause of miscarriages and microcephaly
in babies when the mother is infected during the first or second trimester of pregnancy. Current, recommendations for pregnant women and women considering pregnancy center around living in or traveling to areas where Zika is transmitted locally. Currently, Fort Bend County has had no local transmission of Zika but there have been several cases of Zika in the county due to travelers returning infected with the virus. The only local transmission of Zika in Texas was this past winter in Brownsville, TX with two cases reported.

If you are pregnant or considering getting pregnant it is recommended to avoid travel to areas where Zika is being transmitted. If you need to travel to an area with active Zika transmission, please read this post on Zika Prevention.

More information from the CDC

Source: CDC

Zika in Fort Bend County and beyond

Zika in Fort Bend County

As the temperature rises the risk of Zika increases in Fort Bend County due to increased Mosquito activity. The increased risk is illustrated on the animated map through the changing color of the circles for each month.

Zika risk as illustrated by meteorological conditions which can favor populations of the Aedes aegypti mosquito which transmits the virus. Red dots represent high-abundance conditions, orange represents medium-to-high, yellow represents low-to-medium, and gray represents no significant mosquito population. Source: NCAR

Fort Bend County Health & Human Services has confirmed eleven (11) cases of Zika Virus in Fort Bend County since we started tracking the disease in 2016.*

  • Locally acquired mosquito-borne cases reported: 0
  • Travel-associated cases reported: 11
  • Pregnant women: 1
  • Microcephaly: 0
  • Sexually Transmitted: 0
  • Guillain-Barre Syndrome: 0

*Fort Bend County Health & Human Services is responsible for disease reporting in all of Fort Bend County with the exception of the areas within the City of Houston.

Note: For 2017, as of June, no Zika virus cases have been reported to Fort Bend County Health & Human Services. 

Zika in Texas

As of the week ending July 28, there have been 19 Zika cases reported in Texas for 2017.

  • Bexar – 2
  • Brazoria – 1
  • Brazos – 1
  • Cameron – 6
  • Collin – 1
  • Dallas – 1
  • Denton – 1
  • Harris – 3
  • Lubbock – 1
  • Smith – 2

From December 2015 through December 2016, 323 cases of Zika virus were reported in Texas.  Only six cases diagnosed were from local transmission all in the Brownsville, Texas area (Cameron County).   The remaining 316 cases in Texas were travelers infected in other countries and diagnosed after returning to Texas. Two cases involved having sexual contact with someone who acquired the Zika infection while traveling abroad and three cases passes from mother to child before birth. For those planning travel to the Brownsville area the CDC has issued travel guidance.

Updated Case Count Information can be found on the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Website by visiting the following link: texaszika.org.

Zika in the United States (U.S.)

The primary vector (mode of transmission) for Zika is the Aedes aegypti mosquitoe. Areas of the U.S.that have this mosquitoe or have observed it then are areas that could have the virus transmitted. The map below provided by the CDC shows where this mosquitoe has been previously found in the U.S. However, the map only shows where the mosquitoe lives and not where Zika has been found. The following map shows places in the U.S. that have had patient diagnosed with Zika. Only Texas and Florida have had local transmission with the remaining cases diagnosed in returning travelers.

Number of cases of Zika diagnosed in the U.S. as of 4/19/2017. Source: CDC

Zika Virus in Other Countries

In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infections in Brazil.

Prior to 2015, Zika virus outbreaks have occurred in areas of Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. Currently, outbreaks are occurring in many countries. The Zika virus continues to spread and local transmission has been reported in 72 counties so far.

For the latest travel information, visit, http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/zika-travel-information

For More information, please visit, www.cdc.gov/zika

Video Resources

West Nile Virus

About Human West Nile Neuroninvasive Disease

Eighty percent (80%) of people who are infected with West Nile Virus (WNV) will show no symptoms at all. Up to 20% of the people who become infected will experience West Nile Fever. Symptoms can last for as short as a few days, though even healthy people have become sick for several weeks. About one in 150 people infected with WNV will develop severe illness known as West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease (WNND). Symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent.

Most common symptoms/signs of West Nile Fever and West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease:

  • West Nile Fever (WNF)–fever, headache, sore throat, body aches, fatigue, skin rash and swollen lymph glands.
  • West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease (WNND) – headache, high fever, stiff neck, disorientation, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, coma and paralysis.

2009-2017 Statistics Overview

Fort Bend County West Nile Data 2009-2017

Year Mosquito Pool Horse Bird Human West Nile Fever Human West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease Total Human Cases Human Death
2018 3 0 0 0 2 2 0
2017 2 1 0 0 0 0 0
2016 1 0 0 0 2 2 0
2015 13 0 0 0 2 2 0
2014 11 0 0 2 2 4 0
2013 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
2012 21 2 0 10 4 14 0
2011 4 0 0 0 0 0 0
2010 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2009 2 0 0 0 0 0 0

Source: Texas DSHS

Fort Bend County Monitors West Nile Virus for Disease Control

When an area has mosquito samples that test positive for WNV, Fort Bend County Road & Bridge, or the appropriate city department, takes a focused response to prevent mosquito breeding by increasing spraying and larviciding in the area until a sample of mosquitoes tests negative for the virus. Fort Bend County does NOT spray for nuisance mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are sprayed for vector borne disease prevention only. Testing is conducted by trapping mosquitoes and submitting the sample to be tested for viruses.  Mosquitoes positive for WNV do not necessarily lead to human cases of disease. There have been no human cases of WNV in the County so far this year.

Fort Bend County monitors the type and numbers of mosquitoes present and submits samples for WNV testing. The County also sprays for nuisance mosquitoes but increases spraying and larviciding in areas where mosquito samples have tested positive for WNV.

Fort Bend County Health & Human Services encourages all residents, regardless of their location, to protect themselves and family against mosquito bites.  Remember the 4D’s: dress in loose light colored clothing to cover legs and arms, use repellent that contains DEET, avoid going outside at dusk and dawn, and drain standing water.

Spraying can only impact the mosquitoes where the spray reaches. Some backyards with high privacy fences can not be sprayed by a spray truck. The best practice to prevent mosquitoes around the home is to drain any standing water (flowerpots, trash cans) and if necessary, spray yards with commercial sprays available at most home improvement stores. Together, we can reduce the risk of WNV in our communities.

West Nile Virus is a potentially serious illness that spreads when infected mosquitoes bite humans and other animals. Symptoms include high fever, headaches, neck stiffness, nausea, and vomiting. It is important to note that 80% of people infected with WNV will show no symptoms at all, and only 1 in 150 people infected with WNV will develop severe symptoms. Severe symptoms include fever, and may include unusually intense headaches or confusion. If these symptoms develop seek medical attention immediately. Symptoms will appear 3-14 days after a person has been bitten by an infected mosquito.

Protect yourself from mosquitoes by remembering the four D’s:

  • DUSK/DAWN are the times of day you should try to stay indoors. This is when infected mosquitoes are most active.
  • DRESS in long sleeves and pants when you’re outside. For extra protection, you may want to spray thin clothing with repellent.
  • DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) is an ingredient to look for in your insect repellent. Follow label instructions, and always wear repellent when outdoors. Apply sunscreen first and then mosquito repellent. Reapply after sweating and swimming in the same order.
  • DRAIN standing water in your backyard and neighborhood – old tires, flowerpots, and clogged rain gutters. These are mosquito-breeding sites.