Cochise County health officials have confirmed three cases of Zika virus discovered this month. Cochise County health officials have spent the last several months preparing for the potential introduction of Zika to the local community.
Cochise Health and Social Services (CHSS) staff have developed a coordinated response to the virus with health care partners in the county, in sister counties, and the state. All health care providers in the county have received the latest algorithms for diagnosis and sample collection. Additionally, hospitals, clinics, OBGYN offices, Border Patrol, emergency service providers, schools, and various community organizations have been supplied with posters, brochures, and other Zika information for awareness and education.
All five CHSS clinics are partnering with the Office of Border Health to set traps for mosquito larvae to determine which sites may have higher populations of the Zika-specific mosquito. Trapping began on July 18 and will continue through the end of August. The Environmental Health Services staff also continues to trap and submit for analysis mosquito samples from throughout the county, as well as assist local communities to mitigate mosquito-breeding sites.
Residents are strongly encouraged to take precautionary steps to avoid all mosquito-related illnesses through the remainder of the mosquito season (which typically ends in October in southern Arizona). These steps include using DEET-based insect repellent any time you are outdoors, avoiding contact with mosquitoes, wearing long sleeves and pants, and eliminating all sources of standing water indoors and outdoors in order to inhibit mosquito breeding sites. Pregnant women, or those intending to become pregnant, should consult their physicians before traveling to countries where Zika is epidemic.