Health department officials are trying to take a bite out of the mosquito population in Fayette County. This year the Zika virus brings added concern to a small nibble by the bug.
Proactive. That’s the word that was used repeatedly by Lexington Fayette County Health Department Spokesperson Kevin Hall. He says they put a mosquito-proofing plan into action every summer but on Wednesday they went a step further and joined a state-wide effort called “fight the bite.” He said “We looked at the top complaints over the last two years, plotted them out on our map and we’re going to go out into those neighborhoods, hit about every fourth or fifth house, leave a door hanger that says you might have some issues at your home like standing water or gutters that need to be cleaned and they are potential risks. We want people to mosquito proof their homes as much as possible”
And with vacation season right around the corner, Hall’s best advice, know if anyone has contracted the disease in the area you’re heading and do everything you can to protect yourself against the insects. “Particularly if you are a pregnant woman and you’re going into the southern states or the Caribbean or any place that’s been hit by Zika. Go to the CDC website, find out what you can do. Particularly a spray, wearing long pants or staying indoors during peak mosquito times”
There have been six cases of the Zika virus reported in Kentucky this year. None of those patients were infected from mosquito bites in the state.