NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – The Tennessee Department of Health confirms there have been 24 persons diagnosed with Zika virus disease in Tennessee this year.

Cases of locally transmitted Zika virus have been identified in a small area in Miami, Florida, but all cases in Tennessee have occurred in people returning from international travel to affected areas. This serves as a reminder that anyone traveling to affected areas should be very careful to avoid mosquito bites during travel and for three weeks after travel. Pregnant women should avoid non-essential travel to affected areas.

To prevent the virus from being spread by mosquitoes in Tennessee, TDH officials are reminding residents of the increased need for local tactics to “Fight the Bite.”.

“Eliminating standing water where mosquitoes can lay eggs and protecting ourselves from their bites by using insect repellents are two of the easiest and most effective ways to ‘Fight The Bite’ to prevent Zika from spreading in our state,” said TDH Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH. “As we see steadily increasing numbers of imported cases of Zika in Tennessee, there’s a heightened need for all of us to prevent this illness from being spread locally by mosquitoes.”

Abelardo Moncayo, Ph.D, director of the TDH Vector-Borne Disease program, reminds residents mosquitoes can lay eggs in water containers as small as a soda bottle lid and that most mosquitoes only travel a few hundred yards from where they are hatched.

TDH recommends using repellents containing DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 on skin and wearing clothing treated with Permethrin; all are safe by pregnant women when users follow label recommendations. Never apply the repellents around the mouth or eyes and Permethrin is generally not be used directly on skin. Permethrin-treated clothing repels mosquitoes and retains this effect after repeated washing. Some clothing products are available pre-treated with permethrin.

It’s good to remember “long, loose and light” when choosing outdoor clothing. Long-sleeved shirts and long pants are best, and consider, tucking your pants into your socks and your shirt into your pants. Loose-fitting clothing helps prevent bites through the fabric. Light-colored clothes are less attractive to many insects and may allow you to spot them more easily.

To learn more about ways to protect yourself and your community from mosquito bites and mosquito-borne diseases, visit:
http://www.cdc.gov/zika/prevention/prevent-mosquito-bites.html