On April 1, state and local Arizona public health professionals joined with experts across the county at CDC’s Zika Action Plan Summit in Atlanta, according to Dr. Cara M. Christ, director for the Arizona Department of Health Services.
In March, the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Maricopa County Department of Public Health confirmed the state’s first case of Zika virus in a Maricopa County resident. The older adult woman traveled outside of the United States to a Zika affected area before developing symptoms of illness.
Christ reports that Arizona has already begun preparations for the arrival of Zika virus in Arizona, including developing response plans, meeting monthly with state and local partners to ensure statewide coordination, conducting ongoing mosquito and human surveillance, and educating healthcare providers and other partners about Zika diagnosis and prevention.
“After attending the CDC Summit, we saw a great opportunity to pull together a statewide, multidisciplinary group of partners to host our own Zika summit,” wrote on her blog. “This Arizona Zika planning meeting will allow attendees to gain a shared knowledge and understanding of multiple facets of Zika virus and provide a forum for coordinated, statewide planning for preparedness and response. It will include presentations of the latest Zika virus science and best practices for prevention as well as focused breakout sessions on topics of interest for healthcare providers, public health professionals, vector control staff, health communicators, and other response partners.”