What Baltimore City Is Doing To Prevent Spread Of Zika
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore City officials have announced what they are doing to prevent the spread of Zika and other mosquito-borne illnesses.
Zika, which is spread by mosquito bites and unprotected sex, is linked to microcephaly, a serious birth defect which causes abnormally small heads and severe brain damage.
There have been 15 cases reported in Baltimore City, after the person contracted the virus by traveling to an area with active transmission.
There have been more than 5,000 confirmed cases in the U.S., with 224 locally-transmitted cases in Florida and Texas.
The Baltimore City Health Department has implemented a plan "to help educate city agencies and communities across our city how to prevent and respond to the Zika virus."
City officials are warning residents to eliminate mosquito breeding areas by: Removing any standing water in buckets, coolers, or old tires; covering trash cans and keep recycling bins flipped over; clearing roof gutters; and treating birdbaths, ponds, or any outdoor still water with larvicide tablets.
Click here for more information on the Zika virus from the CDC.
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