State health officials are using about $810,000 in federal grant money to help combat the spread of the Zika virus.
Sen. Tom Carper (D) helped announce the funding Thursday afternoon in Smyrna, warning of the virus’s seriousness.
“This is an ‘all hands on deck’ moment. This isn’t just up to the Division of Public Health, it’s not just up to the Department of Natural Resources, it’s not just up to [Sen. Chris Coons (D)], [Congressman John Carney (D)] and myself or just the governor, it’s really one that’s a responsibility for all of us,” Carper said.
Mosquitoes transmit the virus, which can also spread through sexual contact.
Fetuses exposed to Zika in the womb can develop microcephaly, a serious condition that can prevent their brains from fully developing. It can cause seizure disorders, intellectual disabilities and hearing and vision problems.
The money will go toward new education campaigns, workshops and lab testing. will also go toward spraying pesticides to kill mosquitos and mapping out insect hotspots.
Tom Moran, a DNREC mosquito control expert, says homeowners need to drain standing pools of water from around their home that can collect in old tires, birdbaths and buckets to prevent the bugs from breeding.
“Doing that alone, while also possibly looking into their more cryptic habitats like rain gutters and corrugated downspouts will go a long way to lowering their local mosquito population around their homes and their communities collectively,” Moran said.
It can take as little as five days for mosquitos to develop from larvae into biting adults.
So far, six cases of Zika have been contracted in the U.S. - all in Florida. The 11 Delawareans infected with the virus contracted it while traveling internationally.
