Chickahominy Health District provides tips to fight Zika Virus, mosquito bites

The Chickahominy Health District that serves Charles City and New Kent counties is providing information and ways to fight mosquitoes that are able to transmit the Zika Virus.

Among the mosquitoes that have the capability to carry the virus is the Asian Tiger mosquito. This particular mosquito:

-Breeds in standing water that has collected in containers.

-Doesn’t breed in ponds or puddles of water over soil.

-Live throughout Virginia.

-Tend to bite during the day rather than at night.

-Is usually immune to pesticide spraying.

-Typically spend their lives within a 200-yard area.

-Develop into adults in about 10 days.

To protect yourself against bites, the health district says the use of mosquito repellent with the active ingredients of DEET, Picaridin, and IR3535 is useful. Wearing long sleeve clothing and using undamaged screens on windows and doors to protect homes are also highly encouraged.

In conjunction with the Virginia Department of Health, the Chickahominy Health District is pushing the “Fight-the-Bite” to prevent the spread of mosquito breeding. The initiative encourages people to remove standing water from items such as buckets, swimming pools, tires, wheelbarrows, and more at least once a month.

For information, visit www.cdc.gov/zika or visit www.ZikaVA.org.