Zika and Stagnant Water

​We have heard about it everywhere we go. The name itself strikes fear into the hearts of everyone. As of July 27, 2016, 1700 cases of the Zika virus on United States soil have been accounted. In February 2016, the first case of the Zika virus made itself aware in Georgia. There are variety of reports being made and various studies being experimented to help the general public become more aware of this outbreak. By utilizing a prevention technique that dates back to 1945 with the Dengue-Yellow Fever outbreak and working together, communities can prevent the spread of the virus in their state. In 1945, the Malaria Control in War Areas prevention group (known today as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC) publicized its campaign, It’s Up to You, to combat the Dengue-Yellow Fever outbreak which, like the Zika virus, is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. With the help of the Boy Scouts of America, a prevention technique was made more aware in the country. Stagnant water has proven to be a breeding site for container mosquitoes, such as the Aedes genus. The Boy Scouts of America throughout communities across the United States worked together with local officials to help dump out wagons, buckets and any other containers that contained stagnant water. Consequently, the rates of the Dengue-Yellow Fever outbreak decreased significantly in more rural areas. Now, 71 years later, the Aedes aegypti mosquito is transmitting the Zika virus in the United States. Communities across the country should be working together to reduce the prevalence of stagnant water in their areas