14Mar / 2022

Prep Your Health for Floods

road closed sign

March 14–20 is Flood Safety Awareness Week

Floods are the most widespread of all weather-related natural disasters. They happen in every U.S. state and territory.(1) Floodwater can be dangerous. It can contain different hazards that can harm your health and the health of others.

Here are some ways you can prepare for and respond to flooding.

Know Your Risk

Flooding can happen year-round anywhere it rains.(1) If you live in a flood-prone area, you should prepare.

Use FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center to find your official flood map. You can also contact your local emergency management agency.

Use the information you gather to make an informed decision about how best to protect your finances and property.(2) Homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover flooding. A flood insurance policy typically takes up to 30 days to go into effect.

Prepare Yourself or Your Household

Planning for an emergency can give you and your family peace of mind. If the entire process seems too big, you can take small steps throughout the year.

Collect emergency supplies, including
- personal items such as water, medications, and supplies for pets
- personal protective equipment, including
  - an N-95 respirator
  - long pants or waders
  - rubber boots
  - rubber gloves
  - goggles (i.e., safety glasses)
- insect repellent
- cleaning supplies (Unscented household bleach can be used to disinfect surfaces, canned goods, and even water if bottled water is not available.)
Collect, check, and protect important paperwork, including homeowners or renters and flood insurance policy documents.
Stay informed of weather updates. Follow trusted sources of information on social media like your local National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office.

Along with preparing yourself for a flood, you should also take steps to get your home ready for a flood. This includes learning practical skills like how to turn off the utilities in case you must evacuate.

Protect Your Health

Floodwater can be dangerous. It can contain things that may harm health. We don’t know exactly what is in floodwater at any given point in time. Protect yourself and others from possible contaminants, chemical hazards, and objects.

Stay out of floodwater. Exposure to contaminated floodwater can cause wound infections, skin rash, gastrointestinal illness, tetanus, and other health problems. If you must enter floodwater, wear rubber boots, rubber gloves, and goggles.(3)
Don’t drive into flooded areas—turn around, don’t drown! Have an evacuation plan that gives you options in case a path is flooded.(3) A few inches of water can sweep a car away.
Prevent injuries. If you happen to have an open wound during a flood, make sure to avoid floodwater by keeping wounds clean and covered. (3)

Going home after a flood can present challenges, too. Here are some practical steps to take when you first reenter your home.

Throw out any food, including emergency supplies, that may have come into contact with floodwater. Discard canned foods that are bulging open, or damaged. Food in undamaged cans can be saved if properly cleaned.
Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents to protect yourself from mosquito bites. Immediately following a hurricane, flooding occurs. Mosquito eggs laid in the soil by floodwater mosquitoes during previous floods hatch. This results in very large populations of floodwater mosquitoes. Most of these mosquitoes are considered nuisance mosquitoes. In general, nuisance mosquitoes do not spread viruses that make people sick.(4)
Dry out your home to prevent mold. When returning to a home that has been flooded, be aware that mold growth may be present. Mold can be a health risk for your family. If possible, air out your house by opening doors and windows. Use fans to dry wet areas. Position fans to blow air out doors or windows. Use proper protective gear such as safety glasses, gloves, and N95 respirator when removing mold.(5)

Visit the CDC website for more information on what to do when reentering a flooded home.

References

Resources

Thanks in advance for your questions and comments on this Public Health Matters post. Please note that CDC does not give personal medical advice. If you are concerned you have a disease or condition, talk to your doctor.

Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.

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07May / 2018

4 Tips to Stay Healthy Around Your Pet

Pets, whether covered in fur, feathers, or scales, are an important part of our lives—most American households own at least one pet. Many people see their pet as a member of the family that brings joy and amusement to their life. But did you know that having a pet can even help improve your health? Having a pet can decrease your blood pressure, cholesterol, triglyceride levels, and feelings of loneliness. Pets can also encourage you to be active and get outside, and provide opportunities to socialize.

The risk of getting a disease from a pet is low for most people, but some groups are more likely to get sick from the germs spread by pets, and their illness may be more severe. Young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women are especially vulnerable to certain zoonotic infections. While there are many benefits to pet ownership, animals can sometimes carry germs that make us sick. Zoonotic diseases can spread between people and animals—even our pets. In the past decade, we’ve seen outbreaks of illness in people linked to pets such as puppies, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, turtles, lizards, geckos, hedgehogs, and even water frogs.

You might not realize that the everyday activities involved in caring for your pet can result in the spread of germs from pets to people. Handling pet food and toys, cleaning cages, and yes, even kissing your pet, can pass germs from the pet to you. Pets can spread germs even if they look clean and healthy.

All of this may sound scary, but knowing about zoonotic diseases and the simple things you can do to reduce the risk will help you enjoy your pets and stay healthy. Adopt these four simple habits to help you, your family, and your pets stay healthy and happy.

Choose the right pet
Not all pets are right for all people. In addition to thinking about the pet’s needs, consider who will be around the pet at home. Are there young kids in the house, or maybe a relative over 65? Certain pets, including reptiles, amphibians, and rodents, are not recommended for children 5 years of age and younger, adults 65 years of age and older, and people with weakened immune systems because they’re more likely to get sick. Rodents and cats can carry diseases that cause birth defects, so think about waiting to adopt one of these pets if you or someone in your home is pregnant. Talk to your veterinarian about choosing the right pet.
Keep your pet healthy
Keeping your pet healthy helps to keep you healthy. Make sure pets get a good diet, fresh water, shelter, and exercise. Regular veterinary care is also important for your pet. Many pets need routine vaccinations, de-worming, and flea and tick control to protect them, and their owners, from certain diseases. Every pet—whether it’s a dog, cat, hamster, ferret, or iguana—should receive life-long veterinary care. If you think your pet might be sick, talk to your veterinarian. Also, remember to include your pets in your emergency preparedness plans so you can keep them safe and healthy in an emergency.
Practice good hygiene
Washing your hands is one of the best ways to stay healthy around pets and can also protect you against other diseases. Always wash your hands after playing with, feeding, or cleaning up after your pet. Pets can contaminate surfaces in your home with germs—you don’t have to touch your pets to get sick from the germs they might be carrying. Keep your pets away from people food and areas where food and drink are prepared, served, consumed, or stored. Always clean up dog feces (poop) from your yard and public areas to prevent the spread of parasites and other germs to people. If you’re pregnant and have a cat, avoid changing the litter box.
Supervise kids around pets
Always supervise young children around pets, even trusted family pets. Children, especially those 5 years of age and younger, can be at higher risk for pet-related illnesses because they often touch surfaces that may be contaminated, put objects in their mouths, and are less likely to wash their hands. Children are often the victims of bites and scratches and are more likely to get seriously ill from certain diseases spread from pets. Don’t let kids kiss pets or put their hands or objects in their mouths after playing with pets. Help them to wash their hands after they interact with any animal.

We all love our pets, but it’s important to know the risks that come with any animal contact, especially for people who are more vulnerable to certain diseases. Practicing healthy pet habits can help you enjoy your pets while staying healthy.

You can learn more about pets on CDC’s Healthy Pets Healthy People website, and be sure to check out this feature for more tips on staying healthy around pets.

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09Apr / 2018

Responding to Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Disease Threats in 2017

Montage of photos. From left: a photo of different raw foods, including salmon, fruits and vegetables. A photo of a boy taking an oral vaccine. A photo of bacteria growing in petri dish.

Photo of Rima F. Khabbaz, MD, Director, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases — Rima F. Khabbaz, MD, Director, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases

The fungal superbug Candida auris causes serious and often fatal infections. It can strike people in the places where they seek care—hospitals and other healthcare facilities. In early 2016, we knew about outbreaks of C. auris infections on multiple continents, but we were not sure whether C. auris was in the United States. Fast forward to 2017: C. auris is a priority for public health workers in the United States, and CDC, along with state and local health departments, has tracked more than 200 cases of C. auris infection in the country. Our experts have worked with healthcare facilities across the nation to implement infection control measures and stop transmission.

The progress to track and prevent C. auris is just one example of the important work experts from CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) tackled in 2017. Some of the other highlights from the NCEZID 2017 Accomplishments report are described below.

A tremendous year for public health

Summarizing last year’s major efforts was a difficult task. The numbers alone depict a tremendous year for public health. Here are just a few examples. CDC sequenced nearly 45,000 DNA samples by using Advanced Molecular Detection (AMD) technologies. The agency identified more than 1,100 illnesses that were associated with backyard flocks—the highest number ever recorded by CDC in a single year. And the Antibiotic Resistance Lab Network performed more than 12,000 tests to contain the spread of resistant infections, just to name a few accomplishments.

Tracking new and evolving threats

Every day we are learning more about antibiotic resistance, which continues to be among the biggest health concerns in our country. In 2017, CDC took several important steps to combat antibiotic resistance, including rolling out a containment strategy to slow the spread of drug-resistant diseases in healthcare facilities—starting with a single case—and supporting 25 innovators through a CDC pilot project to develop solutions to antibiotic resistance crises.

Understanding the impact

We are also learning more about Zika virus. Zika was often in the headlines in 2016 and 2017, and the mosquito-borne virus continues to be a threat, especially for pregnant women and their fetuses. Last year, CDC experts shed light on a lesser-known effect of Zika virus infection: a link with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), an uncommon illness of the nervous system. In 2017, CDC and partners conducted the first case-control study in the Americas that showed evidence linking Zika virus infection and GBS. This was just one of many vector-borne diseases CDC tackled in 2017.

Responding to new outbreaks

As we continued to work on lingering threats like antibiotic resistance and Zika, CDC also responded to new outbreaks in 2017, both at home and abroad. In the United States, we saw a range of illnesses connected to food products—from Salmonella infections linked to papayas to an Escherichia coli outbreak from soy nut butter. For the first time, scientists linked an outbreak of Seoul virus infections to pet rats in the United States, and AMD lab techniques proved critical in tracing this and other outbreaks. CDC scientists traveled across the globe in 2017 to investigate a myriad of outbreaks, including an outbreak of anthrax infections in animals in Namibia that posed a threat to human health. Experts helped respond to yellow fever outbreaks in countries including Brazil, and we continue that work today as the yellow fever outbreak in Brazil has expanded over the past two years and could affect US travelers.

Like CDC’s response to yellow fever outbreaks, much of last year’s work continues in 2018. We are closely tracking emerging infections like C. auris, continuing to study the effects of unusual diseases like Zika, and investigating and containing outbreaks of infections caused by a wide range of microbes such as Salmonella bacteria, monkeypox virus, and hemorrhagic fever viruses.

Want to learn more? Read the full NCEZID 2017 Accomplishments report, and follow NCEZID on Twitter @CDC_NCEZID.

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17Apr / 2017

Battling Biting Mosquitoes and Jumping Genes in 2016

NCEZID microbiologist Jane Basile shows how to use the new yellow fever test kit that in less than 4 hours yields results that are as accurate as the older 2-day test.

Last year, an expert from the CDC National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases (NCEZID) found himself in an unlikely position: guest starring on a popular Navajo language radio program to field questions about hantavirus infection. Hantavirus is caused by contact with mouse droppings and can sometimes be fatal.

This is just one example of how NCEZID has worked over the past year to confront a wide range of infectious disease concerns. From antibiotic resistance to Zika, last year’s threats required rapid and innovative responses, and CDC experts stepped up to the plate. Below are just a few of highlights from 2016.

Fighting the bite

In 2016, the mosquito was a major culprit. Zika virus became the first known mosquito-borne virus that can cause major birth defects, and we continue to learn about Zika virus every day. The Zika virus outbreaks in the Americas and other parts of the globe required a massive response, which is hands-down a top accomplishment for 2016. The consequences of Zika can be devastating, and stopping the epidemic has been anything but simple. It has involved expertise from many fields, including mosquito control, pregnancy and birth defects, laboratory, epidemiology, blood safety, communication, and the list goes on. NCEZID led that effort and, by the end of the year, more than 2,000 CDC staff members had been part of the Zika response.

Confronting an imminent threat

Imagine a post-antibiotic world where bacteria no longer respond to the drugs designed to kill them. It’s a real threat, and many consider it the most concerning challenge to our country’s health. CDC has made the fight against antibiotic resistance a priority, and our transformative investments nationwide can be seen using the interactive AR Investment Map. This work includes establishing a new lab network in 2016 with expanded lab capacity in all 50 states.

Tackling illnesses caused by food

What do packaged salads and raw flour have in common? In 2016, both made dozens of people sick. For the first time, NCEZID experts conclusively showed that these foods were linked to specific bacteria that caused outbreaks. Whole genome sequencing helped connect the dots by showing that flour was the cause of an E. coli outbreak that made 60 people in 24 states sick, a third of whom were hospitalized. Some reported eating raw dough or raw batter. Whole genome sequencing also helped determine that an outbreak of listeriosis, which resulted in at least one death and 30 hospitalizations in the United States and Canada, was caused by eating packaged salads. As a result, the company that produced the salads recalled all brands produced at a single US facility.

Responding to rare infections

The jumping gene. A fungus that can cause bloodstream infections. A rare bacteria found in water. These are brief descriptions of three new or rarely seen emerging infectious threats that caused heightened concern in 2016. We worked to identify and contain the mcr-1 – or “jumping” – gene, which can make bacteria resistant to an antibiotic that is a last resort for some infections. A report by our experts also detailed the first US cases of Candida auris, an emerging fungus that is resistant to drugs and can cause serious – and sometimes deadly – blood infections. And, after the first cases of the rare Elizabethkingia infection were reported in Wisconsin, our scientists assisted the Wisconsin and Michigan state health laboratories in investigating the outbreak that would sicken almost 60 people and cause 20 deaths.

Assisting the response to hantavirus in Navajo Nation

NCEZID’s Craig Manning (left) fields a question about hantavirus from KTNN-AM radio host Navajo Bob during the live call-in program.

When a young woman from Navajo Nation in western United States died from an uncommon respiratory infection in early 2016, CDC experts stepped in to help. The problem was hantavirus which is spread by deer mice and causes a serious, sometimes lethal, respiratory infection. NCEZID experts worked with Navajo leaders to share information about hantavirus and create messages on preventing infection, including messages broadcast on a popular Navajo language radio station.

For more on the top infectious threats of 2016 and how we confronted them, please see the NCEZID 2016 Accomplishments.

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12Sep / 2016

West Nile to Zika: How One Virus Helped New York City Prepare for Another

New York City helicopter used for larviciding.

No one told the Aedes mosquito that New York is the city that never sleeps.

The type of mosquito that can spread Zika virus (Zika) is most active during the day and hides at night when our city’s mosquito control efforts are in full swing, meaning that our scientists had to find a way to reach it during pre-dawn hours. The solution? Wake it up, force it to take flight, and then kill it.

This is just one of many innovations New York is using to bolster the fight against Zika.

A tale of two mosquitoes

By the time the Zika outbreak was making news, causing birth defects and threatening pregnant women, New York City already had over a decade of experience in tackling mosquito problems related to the spread of West Nile virus. In facing Zika, we have been able to apply many of our existing resources and lessons learned from the West Nile virus response.

However, the mosquito that carries Zika is different than the one that carries West Nile virus, and it needs to be handled differently. New York is home to Aedes albopictus, which has been known to carry Zika – although, unlike the Aedes aegypti of the south, it has not yet been determined how likely Aedes albopictus is to spread the virus to humans in the United States. Because this is still unknown, people need to protect themselves.

To find out more about the risks, we need to catch the mosquitoes and test them. But we can’t use the same traps to catch the Aedes albopictus that we use to catch the West Nile virus-carrying Culex. Culex mosquitoes can be trapped with a combination of carbon dioxide and light. Being daytime creatures that prey mostly on people, Aedes albopictus don’t fall for the same tricks. So we developed traps that use human pheromones to lure them in.

Building on what we have

Aedes albopictus mosquito feeding. — Aedes albopictus mosquito

Meanwhile, some of the things we have always done for West Nile virus work well in the current response.

We know from previous mosquito-control efforts that pesticides are a last resort. Although there are lots of ways to kill a mosquito, West Nile virus taught us that an effective response takes cooperation on many fronts. In New York, we have laboratories for testing, disease control experts to track cases in people, and a call center that manages tests and information from clinicians. Our communication department gets the word out because the best thing we can do for viruses like West Nile and Zika is educate people about how to prevent mosquito bites – wearing the right repellent, removing standing water, and staying indoors when you can.

Many of the resources we acquired for fighting West Nile virus are proving indispensable for fighting Zika. Ten years ago, we got a hand-me-down helicopter from the NYPD, and we’ve been able to use this for aerial spraying over marshlands and unpopulated areas. In the city, we use the same late-night spray trucks. A police car moves ahead of the truck, warning anyone who may still be out on the street. The distinctly New York voice bellowing from the loudspeaker (that of retired assistant commissioner Allan Goldberg) is even the same one we’ve always used.

Sharing what we know

Zika presents us with a very steep learning curve, and it reinforces the need for transparent communication. We’ve set up an interactive website where we can share what we’re discovering with the public. We put out data on a weekly basis: people can zoom in and out on their screens to see where we’re finding mosquitoes. We want everyone to understand about the preventive work we’re doing to help keep Zika at bay.

The complex nature of Zika reveals the strongest and weakest points of the public health system. One thing in particular public health has always struggled with is how to change people’s behavior, which is critical and must happen if we want to stop Zika. We really hope that pregnant women or women who plan to become pregnant will not travel to areas with Zika, but it’s hard to stop people from visiting family or simply enjoying the world.

So far, all of the reported Zika cases in New York – including, as of August, 49 among pregnant women – have been the result of global travel. But just because we haven’t seen local transmission doesn’t mean the potential isn’t there.

This is why we’ve expanded our efforts by hiring extra staff and extending the areas where we do mosquito control and education. We need to continue to collaborate across agencies and in the field – and, in fact, all over the world – to manage a complex response that touches on so many areas. Working together and staying vigilant is our only hope for getting – and staying – ahead of this potentially devastating disease.

Read our other National Preparedness Month blogs:

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02Aug / 2016

Safe Travels for Zika and Other Dangerous Samples

Barcoded medical samples in transparent tubes

As Zika virus spreads across the globe, scientists in the United States are finding ways to fight it. Currently, there are no vaccines to prevent Zika or medicines for treatment. To create better tests – including rapid tests – and develop vaccines, scientists need to conduct research with the virus in their labs.

CDC manages the permit process for researchers to bring samples of Zika virus safely from other countries into the U.S. for studies, paving the way for lifesaving discoveries.

“Samples come from all over the world,” says LCDR Meredith Pyle, a CDC microbiologist. “While so far, most samples have come from Brazil and Colombia, we have received samples from countries ranging from India to South Korea to Switzerland to Zambia.”

Sending a virus sample from one place to another has to be done safely and securely. Samples of Zika virus can be brought into the U.S. in a variety of forms, including in a tube of blood (plasma or serum), a spot of dried blood, an isolate of the virus itself that has been separated from the blood, or even a live mosquito.

How researchers get a permit

Most permit requests come from laboratories at academic and private institutions. Permits are requested through the Import Permit Program (IPP), which is managed by CDC’s Division of Select Agents and Toxins (DSAT). The program makes sure infectious germs, like Zika virus, as well as other materials that could cause disease in people will be handled appropriately after they arrive in the U.S.

“IPP helps to ensure biological agents imported into the US that could cause disease in people are tracked,” said Dr. Dan Sosin, acting director of DSAT. “We also take steps to ensure that the facilities receiving these permits have appropriate biosafety measures in place to work with the materials.”

When a researcher or institution submits an application to get an import permit for Zika virus, CDC reviews the application to make sure the facility has the appropriate biosafety measures in place to prevent the virus from accidentally being released. The program goal is to approve all Zika virus import permit applications within 24 hours for known, appropriate facilities. DSAT may also conduct an in-person inspection before issuing a permit.

Since last year, the number of permits issued for Zika virus has increased by more than eightfold. As of August 1, 2016, the program had expedited the approval of 137 Zika virus import permits this year alone.

Get more information on the Import Permit Program.

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27Jun / 2016

Mosquito Control Awareness Week: Say Goodbye to Mosquitoes at Home

This week is Mosquito Control Awareness Week! Now that it’s mosquito season, it is the perfect time to look in and around your home for ways to control mosquitoes that can carry viruses like Zika and West Nile.

Man putting screen in window. — Install or repair window and door screens.

There are many options when it comes to mosquito control for your home. No single activity will effectively control mosquitoes, so you should combine both indoor and outdoor mosquito control activities to keep in and around your home free of mosquitoes.

Control mosquitoes inside your home

No one likes having a mosquito flying inside their house. Luckily, there are easy steps you and your family can take to keep mosquitoes out and to get rid of the ones that do get in.

First, keep mosquitoes from getting in by making sure you have screens installed on your windows and doors, and fix any holes in them. Although a summer breeze is nice, keeping windows and doors shut and using air conditioning when possible will help keep mosquitoes out.

Mosquitoes lay their eggs near water. Those that get into your home will look for vases or flower pot saucers with water to lay their eggs on. To eliminate these areas and prevent eggs from hatching, once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, or throw out any items that hold water.

Finally, if you have a hard time keeping mosquitoes out, you can apply an indoor insect fogger or spray according to label instructions to kill mosquitoes that get inside. Mosquitoes like dark and humid places, so make sure to spray under sinks and furniture and in the laundry room.

Control mosquitoes outside your home

Person dumping water out of a bucket — Empty areas of standing water where mosquito can lay eggs.

Summer is the time for backyard barbeques and fun, but that can quickly be interrupted if your yard is full of mosquitoes. There are many things you can do to reduce mosquitoes in your yard and make time outdoors more enjoyable.

Areas with standing water around your yard are perfect places for mosquitoes to lay their eggs. Once a week, you should empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out any items that hold water like tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, or trash containers. Water storage containers should be tightly covered and for those without lids, wire mesh with small holes than an adult mosquito can’t fit through.

For areas of standing water that will not be used for drinking and cannot be covered or emptied, like backyard ponds, use larvicides to kill young mosquitoes.

You can use an outdoor insect fogger or spray in your backyard to reduce the number of mosquitoes. Always follow the instructions on the label. Make sure to spray under patio furniture or under the carport or garage where mosquitoes like to rest.

If your home has a septic tank, repair cracks or gaps and cover open vent or plumbing pipes with wire mesh that has holes smaller than an adult mosquito.

Help with mosquito control

If you do not want to apply indoor or outdoor mosquito control products yourself, you can hire a pest control professional. Tips on finding a pest control profession are available.

Prevent mosquito bites

In addition to controlling mosquitoes in and around your home, you should also protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites. Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents with one of the following active ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol. Apply insect repellents according to label instructions. When used as directed, EPA-registered insect repellents are proven safe and effective, even for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants will also help prevent bites.

More information on how to control mosquitoes in and around your home.

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09May / 2016

The Strategic National Stockpile’s Unique Role in Zika Prevention

The first thing that comes to mind when people think about the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) is probably a big warehouse with lots of medicines and supplies. What many do not know is that even when the SNS does not have the specific medicines or supplies needed to combat a public health threat, SNS experts can play a key role in working with medical supply chain partners to locate and purchase products during an emergency response.

The involvement of the SNS in the Zika virus response is a perfect example of this little-known, but significant, role. Zika is spread to people primarily through the bite of an Aedes aegypti mosquito infected with Zika virus, although Aedes albopictus mosquitoes may also spread the virus. Recent outbreaks of Zika in the Americas, Caribbean, and Pacific Islands have coincided with increased reports of microcephaly and other birth defects as well as Guillain-Barré syndrome. As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) response is focused on limiting the spread of Zika virus. Prevention is key for Zika control, because there is no vaccine or medicine for Zika virus. This is where the SNS comes in.

Controlling mosquito populations is key to prevention

During a public health emergency, CDC can deploy the SNS for medicines and supplies or can use SNS’ contracting abilities to access materials and services that can be used to prevent or treat diseases that threaten U.S. health security. Controlling the mosquito population and addressing other known routes of infection are important to limit the spread of Zika virus in U.S. territories. The SNS is providing immediate vector control services and preventive supplies for pregnant women to protect themselves from mosquito bites. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable because they can pass Zika virus to their fetuses, which can cause microcephaly and other brain defects.

Before the Zika virus outbreak, the SNS did not stock or purchase medicines or supplies to respond to illnesses spread by mosquitoes, ticks, and other insects. In response to this outbreak, SNS staff are working with CDC procurement experts to award and implement immediate, short-term contracts to deploy materials and services to control the mosquito populations responsible for Zika transmission. These contracts allow CDC to work with territorial public health jurisdictions to treat areas where mosquitoes breed and live, as well as areas where pregnant women live.

Zika Prevention Kits help pregnant women protect themselves

The SNS is creating Zika Prevention Kits for pregnant women in U.S. territories. These kits are being distributed as an effort to help prevent Zika infection in pregnant women and to reduce the number of babies born with birth defects caused by Zika, such as microcephaly and other brain defects. Through donations from the CDC Foundation and its partners and by purchasing products, the SNS has obtained materials for the kits – including insect repellent, larvicides, mosquito netting, condoms to prevent sexual transmission of Zika, and educational materials. The SNS is rapidly assembling these materials in reusable bags that can be given to pregnant women.

The SNS has sent nearly 7,000 kits to affected areas, and more are planned. Each U.S. territory is identifying the best way to get the kits to pregnant women. In Puerto Rico, local public health officials have partnered with clinics that are part of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) so they can reach expectant mothers. WIC already interacts with this population through its healthcare and nutritional services for low-income women, infants, and children. Local obstetrician offices are also being used to distribute these kits.

In the past, the SNS primarily focused on warehousing products and deploying those products for public health threats related to bioterrorism, pandemics, and natural disasters. With every emergency response, it has become more evident that the SNS can play a much larger role, especially when specialty products, products in high demand, and medical countermeasures are needed to secure the nation’s health. As one of the federal government’s leading groups of medical supply chain and logistics experts, the SNS at CDC has the ability to coordinate with industry partners to rapidly procure and transport medicines and supplies and serve specific populations in a public health emergency.

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22Mar / 2016

Zika, Mosquitoes, and Standing Water

With spring weather and mosquito season coming soon in the United States, the Zika virus – and the mosquitoes that carry the virus – may be a major concern. Zika is currently affecting more than 30 countries and territories in the Americas and Pacific Islands. Zika virus is primarily spread through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito. People and communities can take steps to reduce the number of mosquitoes in their homes and communities to protect themselves from Zika.

How Does Water Help Mosquitoes Breed?

Aedes aegypti is known as a “container-breeding mosquito” because it likes to lay eggs in and around standing water. Studies show that female mosquitoes prefer to lay eggs in water that collects or is stored in manmade containers.

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes lay eggs on the walls of water-filled containers. Eggs stick to containers like glue and remain attached until they are scrubbed off. The eggs can survive when they dry out—up to 8 months. When it rains or water covers the eggs, they hatch and become adults in about a week.

Reduce mosquitoes at home

Here are a couple of steps you can take to prevent mosquitoes from living and breeding around your home.

Remove standing water

Keep mosquitoes from laying eggs inside and outside of your home. Items in and around people’s homes can collect water. Once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out containers that hold water, such as

Vases
pet water bowls
flowerpot saucers
discarded tires
buckets
pool covers
birdbaths
trash cans, and
rain barrels.

These actions can help reduce the number of mosquitoes around areas where people live.

Follow safe water storage tips

If water must be stored, tightly cover storage containers to prevent mosquitoes from getting inside and laying eggs.

Reduce mosquitoes in the community

Communities also can take steps to reduce the number of mosquitoes and the chances of spreading disease.

Build systems that distribute safe water

If people have access to clean and safe water in their communities, they will not need to store it in and around their homes. Research has shown that when community-wide distribution systems are built, the number of mosquitoes decreases, because water is not being stored near areas where people live.

Improve sanitation

When water is contaminated with organic matter (for example, human or animal waste, grasses, and leaves), the chances that mosquito larvae will survive may increase because contaminated matter provides food for larvae to eat. Sanitation departments and wastewater treatment plants remove organic wastes and treat water with chlorine or other disinfectants. These activities may decrease mosquito populations and, simultaneously, prevent diarrheal diseases.

*Basic sanitation includes access to facilities for the safe disposal of human waste, and the ability to maintain hygienic conditions, through services such as garbage collection, industrial/hazardous waste management, and wastewater treatment and disposal.

Water, sanitation, and hygiene* (WASH) are critical to keep people healthy and prevent the spread of many different disease, including Zika. World Water Day recognizes the importance of safe drinking water and improved sanitation and hygiene in the health of our world’s population.

Learn more about World Water Day at www.unwater.org/worldwaterday and visit www.cdc.gov/healthywater/global for more information about CDC’s efforts to ensure global access to improved water, sanitation, and hygiene.

For more information on the Zika virus, and for the latest updates, visit www.cdc.gov/zika.

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22Mar / 2016

Zika, Mosquitoes, and Standing Water

How Does Water Help Mosquitoes Breed?

Reduce mosquitoes at home

Here are a couple of steps you can take to prevent mosquitoes from living and breeding around your home.

Remove standing water

Vases
pet water bowls
flowerpot saucers
discarded tires
buckets
pool covers
birdbaths
trash cans, and
rain barrels.

These actions can help reduce the number of mosquitoes around areas where people live.

Follow safe water storage tips

If water must be stored, tightly cover storage containers to prevent mosquitoes from getting inside and laying eggs.

Reduce mosquitoes in the community

Communities also can take steps to reduce the number of mosquitoes and the chances of spreading disease.

Build systems that distribute safe water

Improve sanitation

For more information on the Zika virus, and for the latest updates, visit www.cdc.gov/zika.

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Control mosquitoes inside your home

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Remove standing water

Follow safe water storage tips

Build systems that distribute safe water

Improve sanitation

Remove standing water

Follow safe water storage tips

Build systems that distribute safe water

Improve sanitation

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