5 New Zika Cases Reported This Week; Virginia to Begin Testing Mosquitoes

Virginia will begin testing local mosquitoes for the Zika virus, as five new cases were reported in the Commonwealth this week,

The new numbers were released Thursday by the Virginia Department of Health. Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced Wednesday that Virginia will begin testing mosquitoes for the virus.

The total number of reported cases in the Commonwealth is now at 38. Of those cases, 22 of them were reported in the Northern Region which includes the Northern Virginia suburbs.

The mosquito-borne illness poses a particular threat to pregnant woman and their unborn children, according to health officials.

No local mosquito-borne Zika virus disease cases have been reported in the United States, but lab tests have confirmed Zika virus in travelers returning to the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These travelers have gotten the virus from mosquito bites and some non-travelers got Zika through sex with a traveler.

The Zika virus is spread when someone is bitten by an infected mosquito from the Aedes genus, including Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Asian Tiger) mosquito, which isfound in Virginia, experts have said. The mosquito is known for its black and white markings; it breeds in containers.

Virginia to begin testing mosquitoes for Zika

On Wednesday, Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced that the Department of General Services’ Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services (DCLS) will begin testing mosquitoes in targeted areas across Virginia for Zika virus.

“The surveillance of Zika cases in Virginia is critical to our ability to prepare for and provide treatment to people affected by this virus," McAuliffe said in a news release about the effort.

"This is why I established the Zika task force this past February,” he said. “Thus far, all Virginia Zika virus infections have been associated with travel abroad, but we are ramping up efforts in preparation for locally transmitted cases where a mosquito bites an infected person and then bites someone else. Early detection of the virus in local mosquitoes allows health officials to pinpoint our efforts to prevent the spread to others in the community. I applaud the efforts of our state and local public health officials who are working diligently to stop the spread of Zika, and we will continue aggressive actions to prevent the spread of this virus in Virginia.”

The Governor did not give specific locations that will see testing of mosquitoes.

Zika virus meetings

Fairfax County plans a town hall meeting about the Zika virus on Monday. Get more details here about the meeting. The county's Health Department laboratory is now capable of testing mosquito samples for Zika virus. Any jurisdictions that are interested in contracting for that service can contact the laboratory at 703-246-3218, TTY 711.

The City of Alexandria plans to hold a meeting about the Zika virus Wednesday, July 20, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Beatley Central Library (5005 Duke St.).

Check with your local health department to see if similar meetings will be held in your community.

PHOTO of mosquito courtesy of CDC