Unless you have taken a break from television, radio, and all social media you probably have heard all about the Zika virus. With all the information and stories being spread around right now, you may rightly be a little on edge. At Thomas Pest Services we want to take away some of the mystery of the Zika virus by providing you with basic information, along with how you can protect yourself and your family from this virus threat.

The Zika virus is most commonly acquired through the bite of an affected mosquito; it is also possible to spread the virus from infected mother to her baby around the time of birth or from infected mother to baby during a pregnancy. And while much rarer, there is also a possibility that the virus can be spread through blood transfusions and sexual contact.

The biggest concern with the Zika virus is its association with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which is known to cause neurological disorders including microcephaly (small head) in babies. It is important for everyone to remember that while prevention measures should certainly be taken, the association between mothers infected with the Zika virus and babies being born with microcephaly is not yet a confirmed fact; it is currently just a correlation.

Next, let’s answer the question that is on everyone's mind- is the virus being contracted in the U.S? As of February 10th, according to the CDC in the United States, there have been 52 reported cases of Zika virus; but all the cases have been travel related. This means that the people that are currently infected were infected abroad and then came back to the U.S.- they weren’t bitten by an infected mosquito while living or traveling in the U.S. There have still been no reports of anyone in the U.S being infected locally.

The first confirmed, documented infection of the Zika virus occurred in Brazil in May 2015. Previous to 2015, reports of the Zika virus have occurred in Africa, Southeast Asia, and in the Pacific Islands. There is one confirmed case of a baby being born to an infected mother with microcephaly in Hawaii. Recently, there has been a report of a baby being born with microcephaly in Albany, New York, to a mother that recently traveled back from South America where the Zika virus is spreading. If she is confirmed to be infected with the Zika virus, it will be the first confirmed case in the continental United States- according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Even though the Zika virus is not being spread in the U.S. by mosquitoes right now, it is still important to put into place preventative measures to protect yourself and family. At Thomas Pest Services we can help to control mosquito numbers on your property through our mosquito control services.

Our experts will inspect your property and locate breeding sites and other areas that may be attracting mosquitoes. We will then apply an eco-friendly application of product on shrubs, trees, and structures around your property and home to help limit mosquitoes. Best results for controlling their numbers occur with regular on-going maintenance services.

Controlling mosquitoes will not only help against the spread of Zika virus, but will also help to control viruses like the West Nile virus that is currently being spread by mosquitoes in the U.S. For more information about limiting the numbers of these pesky and dangerous pests on your property, contact the New York mosquito control experts at Thomas Pest Services today.