State steps up response to Zika virus

State officials announced new efforts on Friday to fight the Zika virus after a fourth person tested positive in Connecticut. Gov. Dannel Malloy said the state will start handing out warning fliers

News 12 Staff

May 7, 2016, 6:44 AM

Updated 3,135 days ago

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State officials announced new efforts on Friday to fight the Zika virus after a fourth person tested positive in Connecticut.
Gov. Dannel Malloy said the state will start handing out warning fliers to all travelers flying from Bradley International Airport to the Caribbean, Central America and South America. 
The state's 91 mosquito-trapping sites also will begin sending data to the Centers for Disease Control each week starting in June, according to Malloy.
The measures come after a woman in her 30s was diagnosed with Zika in Connecticut. The woman, who isn't pregnant, became ill about four days after she returned from the Caribbean on April 25.
All four of Connecticut's Zika patients caught the virus somewhere else and brought it back to the U.S.
"We are much more likely to see sexual transmission in the state," said Theodore Andreadis, the director of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, referring to the possible modes of transmission. He joined Malloy at the Zika news conference.
Still, residents can defend their homes against mosquitoes. The Asian tiger mosquito, which is now linked to Zika and is common in Connecticut, thrives in tall grass.
"They are called 'ankle biters,'" says Kevin Rivera, of Mosquito Terminators. "Just keep your grass clipping low. That way, the Asian tiger won't be able to hide."
Another effective way of controlling the mosquito population includes having an exterminator spray every two to three weeks. For an average-size house, that can cost about $400 to $600 over the course of the summer.
Health officials say homeowners should rid their properties of standing water in places such as trash cans and fountains.