Zika Virus Checks In Maryland

Residents in Maryland are being urged to check their back yards for potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Prince George County has seen a significant rise in these pests due to high level rainfall, meaning Health Officials want to ensure everyone is as safe as possible from mosquitoes and the diseases that they are known to transmit.

Mosquitoes on the move in Maryland

Health officials are urging property owners to rid their property of standing water after West Nile Virus was detected in Prince George’s County.  With near-record levels of rain this month, health officials say getting rid of standing water is critical in controlling the mosquito population. The city is also checking for Zika, a mosquito-born illness that can cause birth defects in pregnant women.

Back in 2016 the Zika virus made headlines, and many parts of the United States were put on high alert. The threat hasn’t gone away, and if you are looking to travel to parts of the world that are still known to be a high risk when it comes to this mosquito transmitted disease, then you might want to watch this video.

Symptoms are known to be ‘mild’ if infected by Zika, however, it’s not so much the case if a pregnant woman succumbs to the illness. In fact it can be life threatening to her unborn child.

Zika Virus Might Still Pose A Silent Threat To Pregnant Women

he Zika virus might be a more common cause of miscarriages and stillbirths in women who show no symptoms than previously thought, according to a study published in journal Nature Medicine. This could be a clue that the rate of pregnancy loss in humans is much higher than previously thought since women who lose their babies during pregnancy might not know that they are infected, researchers said.

No matter how ‘mild’ you believe the symptoms of Zika virus to be on healthy adults, just think about what could happen to unborn babies. Wherever you are in the world, protect yourself from mosquitoes. They really are the biggest killer!