Zika Threat in Va.: 7 Tips This Mosquito Season

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is warning state residents to prepare for the arrival of mosquito season and the dreaded Zika virus, and there are a few things you can do to protect yourself.

While the Zika virus outbreak hasn't struck the United States full force yet, a few cases have been reported in the country, and with mosquito season arriving May 1 in Virginia, McAuliffe warned citizens to "take the necessary precautions against Zika virus," according to a statement from the governor's office.

The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne illness that primarily affects pregnant women and the unborn, and the Virginia Department of Health has created a Zika website providing up-to-date information on the virus for state residents.

There have so far been 13 cases of the virus reported in Virginia, and three of them have been reported in northern part of Virginia. The state health department said that the residents got the virus traveling to regions where the Zika outbreak is ongoing.

Virginia officials have been on alert this year, and are increasing their efforts to warn residents to do what they can to minimize their contact with mosquitoes.

Mosquito season in Virginia runs from May 1 through October.

Zika virus doesn't have acute symptoms like most most mosquito-borne illnesses. The symptoms are typically mild, but the virus has a direct connection between pregnant women and birth defects. It's also possible to spread the virus sexually.

The governor's office is providing the following tips to prevent Zika:

• Wear protective clothing
• Use insect repellent
• Stay indoors with air conditioning and window screens
• Sleep under a mosquito bed net if you are overseas or outside and can't protect yourself normally from mosquitoes
• Get rid of standing water, where mosquitoes like to breed
  
• Use condoms correctly if you suspect you are your partner may have Zika, or abstain from sex
• Avoid traveling to areas in the world where the outbreak is ongoing (here is a list from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

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