Mosquitos That Carry Zika Virus Found In Michigan

DETROIT, MI — Asian tiger mosquitoes, a species capable of carrying the Zika virus, were recently found in Wayne County, health officials said. The finding is the first documentation of Asian tiger mosquitos in Michigan, but officials emphasized there is no evidence the mosquitoes are infected with the Zika virus, which can cause cause birth defects in babies born women infected before or while they were pregnant.

“Finding Asian tiger mosquitoes in Michigan is no reason for great concern,” Dr. Eden Wells, the chief medical officer of the Michigan Department of Public Health and Human Services, said in a statement. The species has also been found in Nebraska, Connecticut, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota and Wisconsin, but there is no evidence that humans have been infected as a result of bites from the mosquito, Wells said.

Still, it’s a good idea for Michiganders to protect themselves against mosquito bites to avoid West Nile virus, according to the release. (For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Detroit Patch, and click here to find your local Michigan Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

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The mosquitoes were found in an industrial area in Livonia along the Interstate 96 corridor.

This summer, the state health department and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention partnered with local health departments in Wayne and 24 other Michigan counties to conduct surveillance for two mosquito species that carry the Zika virus.

Prior to this recent discovery, more than 20,000 non-Zika vector mosquitoes had been trapped and identified by local health departments. Efforts to further investigate the spread of Asian tiger mosquitoes in Wayne County are already under way. The invasive day-biting mosquito breeds in containers where water collects, such as old tires, gutters, and flower pots.

Michigan residents can protect themselves from mosquitoes by:

• Eliminating sources of standing water such as wading pools, old tires, buckets and containers by dumping water to prevent mosquito eggs from hatching or larvae from developing into biting adults.
• Wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks when outdoors.
• Applying an EPA-registered insect repellent according to label instructions.
• Making sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens.

The city of Livonia has been proactive in its mosquito control efforts, as the city has treated 11,000 catch basins annually since 2003 to eliminate larval mosquitoes.

The Zika virus, which is spread through mosquitoes and particularly through the Aedes species, can be transmitted from mother to baby during pregnancy or through unprotected sexual contact.

A large outbreak of Zika occurred beginning in 2015 in South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.

More information about the Zika virus in Michigan is found on the health department website.

Photo via U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention