Merced County reports first human cases of Zika virus
Merced County health officials on Monday said they have confirmed the county’s first cases of the Zika virus.
The Merced County Department of Public Health said two unrelated residents became ill after traveling to countries identified with active Zika transmission. Both residents received medical care after experiencing mild symptoms and both have fully recovered, the department said in a news release.
As of Friday, there have been 114 confirmed cases of Zika in California, including nine reported in the San Joaquin Valley, the department said. As of last Wednesday, a total of 1,658 human cases of Zika virus had been reported in the United States.
The Zika virus has spread rapidly in the Americas since it was first identified in Brazil in early 2015, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. It has been found to cause birth defects including microcephaly and other serious brain anomalies, according to the journal.
The Zika virus is carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is present in the San Joaquin Valley.
Until recently, U.S. cases of Zika virus were associated with travel to affected areas of the world. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed four cases of Zika virus in Florida that likely are the first known occurrence of local mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission in the continental United States, according to the county department of health. Other cases have been reported since.
On Monday, federal health officials advised pregnant women to avoid a Miami neighborhood found to be a center of Zika cases, marking the first time the CDC has warned against travel to any area within the continental United States.
Merced County health authorities advised residents to protect themselves and their families from Zika virus by taking steps to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. Those steps include: using insect repellent containing DEET, picaradin or oil of lemon or eucalyptus according to label instructions; repairing or replacing screens with tears or holes to keep mosquitoes outside; and draining and eliminating sources of standing water around the home, including in flower pots, tires and pet bowls.
For more information on Zika go to: www.cdc.gov/zika or www.cdph.ca.gov. For more information on mosquito abatement call the Merced County Mosquito Abatement District at 209- 722-1527.
This story was originally published August 1, 2016 at 5:28 PM with the headline "Merced County reports first human cases of Zika virus."