Del. granted $813k to fight zika virus

813 thousand dollars have been granted to the first state to help with efforts in preventing and responding to the Zika virus, should an outbreak occur.

Funds are coming from the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity grant which the state receives every year; however, this year included money for anti-Zika efforts. 116 thousand dollars  will directly aid DNREC for mosquito control.

Dr. Karyl Rattay, director of the Delaware Division of Public Health, confirms there have been 11 cases of the mosquito-borne virus Zika in the first state. All of the cases have been traveled-related.

“Local transmission in Delaware is possible,” Dr. Rattay admitted during a press conference Thursday.

Bill Meredith, environmental administrator for the Delaware Mosquito Control Section at DNREC, says the 116 thousand will help them buy and use traps for collecting Asian Tiger mosquitos.

While the Aedes Aegypti is most commonly linked to Zika, Meredith explains it’s possible for the Asian Tiger species to also transfer the virus. He tells 47ABC, it’s common in urban and suburban areas in Delaware.

“Asian tiger mosquitos are nasty, daytime biters. They go after people very aggressively when there a lot of people are out and about,” explains Meredith. “Most mosquitos are nocturnal around dawn or dusk. Asian tigers are after you throughout the day.”

DNREC will also use some of the money for foggers to kill the mosquitoes, according to Meredith.

As for how the public can help, he explains cleaning up standing water is critically important.

According to the CDC, female mosquitoes can lay several hundred eggs on the walls of waterfilled containers. Eggs stick to containers and stay there until they are scrubbed off. When water covers the eggs, they hatch and become adults in about a week.

“Help yourselves, help your neighbors, help us,” says Meredith. “We’ve been frustrated in the past. It doesn’t seem to resonate well, but maybe now with the issue of potentials for zika, more people will pay attention.”

We’re told the remainder of that 813 thousand dollar grant will be used to raise awareness for the general public, through billboards, public education and outreach.

In early August, the CDC reportedly awarded more than 16 million dollars to 40 states including Maryland and Virginia in an effort to fight Zika.