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Connecticut Begins Preparing For The Zika Virus

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. -- To ensure the safety of Connecticut residents from the spreading Zika virus, Gov. Dannel Malloy and state agencies are preparing now. 

Gov. Dannel Malloy meets with members of various parts of the state government about the Zika virus on Thursday.

Gov. Dannel Malloy meets with members of various parts of the state government about the Zika virus on Thursday.

Photo Credit: Gov. Dannel Malloy via Twitter
To ensure the safety of Connecticut residents regarding the Zika virus, the governor and state agencies are planning for any contingencies that may arise. To date, no cases of Zika virus have been identified in the state.

To ensure the safety of Connecticut residents regarding the Zika virus, the governor and state agencies are planning for any contingencies that may arise. To date, no cases of Zika virus have been identified in the state.

Photo Credit: Contributed

“The more planning and preparation we do now, the more successful we’ll be in our response, if needed, later. We’ve developed a road map for a coordinated response by state agencies to any potential threat posed by Zika,” Malloy said Thursday after a meeting in Hartford on the mosquito-borne virus. 

For the first step, the Department of Public Health will be able to test for the virus in the state by the end of February. 

Consequently, DPH will not have to send samples out of state, which will speed response time. As testing becomes available at public health, hospital and commercial laboratories, testing protocols will be modified. As of Monday, DPH will make Zika a reportable disease in the state. 

“We’re working cross-functionally, across agencies, to ensure that we are being proactive and to ensure that we are as prepared as we possibly can be, Malloy said. "It’s our obligation to protect residents, and we will be ready with a coordinated response if it’s required.” 

The Zika virus is spread to people predominantly through mosquito bites, and travelers to affected regions such as Central and South America are at risk of contracting the virus primarily from infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which are found in tropical climates. The most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis. The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week. 

There is a possible link between Zika virus infection in pregnant women and subsequent birth defects. For this reason, pregnant women in particular are advised to postpone travel to areas affected by Zika virus. 

To date, no cases of Zika virus-associated disease have been identified among Connecticut residents, and the state does not have the mosquitoes that carry the virus. 

Also, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station will be monitoring the state's mosquito population, with a network of 91 fixed mosquito-trapping stations in 72 municipalities. 

For more information, visit www.ct.gov/dph/zika.

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