Grand Prairie will spray for mosquitoes Thursday and Friday after a resident contracted Zika virus while traveling, city officials say.
The city released no information about the patient or where they contracted the virus, but did say they would spray for mosquitoes both on the ground and by truck.
The truck-based fogging will take place Thursday and Friday beginning at 9 p.m.
The area to be sprayed is generally bound by Bluegrass Drive on the north, South Belt Line Road to the east, Holly Hill Drive to the south and Bluegrass Road, Kentucky Drive and Bold Forbes Drive on the west.
"Residents in these areas are advised to stay indoors, keep pets inside, and cover fish ponds during those times. Spraying will be rescheduled if wind speeds are above 10 mph or in the event of rain. A map of these areas are available at gptx.org," the city said in a news release. "All Grand Prairie residents are asked to help eliminate the areas that mosquitoes need to breed by emptying, removing or covering any receptacle that can hold water."
Still, no known Zika cases have been transmitted locally by mosquitoes, local health officials confirm -- all local cases have been imported with the exception of one case in Dallas County that is believed to have been spread by sexual contact.
Zika virus is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, a known aggressive daytime biter. Common symptoms of Zika virus include fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting several days to a week, though there can be profound impact to a developing fetus should the mother contract the virus.
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There is no medication to treat Zika virus and there is no vaccine; the best prevention is to avoid mosquitoes and sexual contact with infected people. The recommendations for avoiding the Zika virus are the same for avoiding West Nile virus.
- Dress in long sleeves, pants when outside: For extra protection, spray thin clothing with repellent.
- DEET: Make sure this ingredient is in your insect repellent.
- Drain standing water in your yard and neighborhood: Mosquitoes can develop in any water stagnant for more than three days.
It has been recommended in the past that to avoid mosquito bites you should avoid being outdoors during Dusk and Dawn (the 4 Ds). While this is true for mosquitoes that commonly carry the West Nile virus, other types of mosquitoes that are more likely to carry Zika, dengue and chikungunya are active during the day. When outdoors, no matter what time of day, adjust your dress accordingly and wear insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus as your first line of defense against insect bites.
