By Shala Watson
Staff Writer
Summer means warm weather and a busy harvest season. This year, it’s also bringing an increased awareness of West Nile and Zika viruses.
They’ve been dominating headlines, and the mosquito-spread infections have Texans on the lookout.
Zika isn’t circulating among mosquitoes in the U.S., but Americans are bringing the disease home.
Most people infected with Zika do not suffer symptoms. The dangerous virus, however, can cause severe effects.
“It can cause birth defects, including microcephaly, small head size, which can really restrict brain development, and can be fatal in cases as well,” Chris Van Deusen, a Texas Department State Health Services official, said in an interview with the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network. “So that’s really the big reason why we want to stop Zika before it comes to Texas.”
Currently, the only reported Zika cases found in Texas are from people who have traveled to areas in the world where the disease is transmitted locally, Van Deusen said.
He encourages folks to wear mosquito repellant when outdoors, as well as long sleeves and long pants, especially in the summer time.
Although Zika is an unfamiliar virus to Texans, the West Nile virus isn’t. Especially for horse owners.
“West Nile continues to be a major concern for the equine community, so it’s critical that horse owners and veterinarians remember to vaccinate their horses annually against this deadly disease,” Kevin Hankins, DVM, Zoetis Equine Technical Services, said in a news release.
Vaccination remains the most effective way to protect horses against West Nile and other mosquito-borne diseases.
Van Deusen says preventative measures landowners can take to help prevent the spread of these viruses is to drain any standing water off your property or use mosquito larvicides.
“As you know, mosquitoes breed by laying their eggs in standing water. You can interrupt that either by dumping out water or introducing something that is going to kill those eggs,” Van Deusen said. “It will prevent those mosquitoes from multiplying and that will help stop the virus.”