AT A GLANCE
According to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were no reports in Ohio of mosquito-borne cases of Zika being contracted and 27 cases of travel-associated cases, where those contracting the disease did so while traveling outside America.
CDC officials have released guidelines for kindergarten – 12th grade schools on preventing and detecting Zika virus in the upcoming school year:
- Zika is spread primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, through sexual contact, or from a pregnant woman to her fetus. Zika virus is not passed directly from person to person through casual contact.
- For most children and adults, Zika virus infection will not cause symptoms or will only cause mild symptoms.
- Zika virus infection during pregnancy is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and certain birth defects; therefore, special considerations for preventing exposure might be needed for pregnant women, women trying to conceive, and their male sexual partners.
- School jurisdictions should proactively establish effective channels of communication with local government and public health authorities regarding response plans for local transmission of Zika virus disease.
- School administrators can help provide safe school environments through mosquito bite prevention efforts and sharing of accurate Zika virus information with staff members, students, and families.
- It is not recommended for schools to remove students or staff members who have Zika virus disease or who were exposed to Zika virus, or to cancel school-related activities because of Zika virus concerns.
- Nondiscrimination and privacy and confidentiality measures should be maintained for all students and staff members.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
In the wake of growing concerns about the Zika virus, local and state school officials are battling the possible spread of anxiety about disease arising in the coming school year.
Their first weapon – information.
Recently released federal guidelines advising kindergarten through 12th grade schools in preventing and recognizing Zika are being made available to every school in the state, officials with the Ohio Department of Education announced last week.
The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, which were released last month, outline the actions schools should take but also re-iterate the threat from Zika is still minimal — it cannot be passed through casual contact — and is no cause for panic.
There have been no cases of mosquito-transmitted Zika reported in Ohio and only 27 cases of travel-associated Zika in the state, reports CDC officials, though the number of total Zika cases nationally — almost all travel-related — is growing.
Though the threat here remains relatively minor, school officials are moving on informing school parents, school staffers and ramping up efforts to lessen the chances of mosquito infestation on their school campuses.
“We are monitoring the information we receive and will determine how we want to communicate local concerns regarding the spread of the virus,” said Fairfield Schools spokeswoman Gina Gentry-Fletcher.
“We will likely include information on this virus on the website so parents can be more informed. We will also communicate to our staff ways the virus is spread,” said Gentry-Fletcher, who added the Butler County school district is also “implementing mosquito control measures, ensuring that trash cans are emptied on a regular basis, standing water is eliminated where possible, and that grass is properly maintained.”
Fairfield Schools are one of the few Butler and Warren County school systems to have an on-campus health center available to students, school staffers as well as community residents.
“And our nurses are aware of the virus and will keep a close eye on symptoms our students may be showing when coming to the clinic. Having the health center on our campus is another great resource we can use for students showing signs of the virus,” she said.
Lakota Local Schools — Butler County’s largest school district and the second largest in Southwest Ohio — is also taking steps should Zika come to the area.
“Part of providing a safe school environment for all students is being proactive. Just as someone might do in their own yard, we are doing our best to limit mosquitoes on our school grounds,” said Lauren Boettcher, spokeswoman for the 16,500-student district. “That means monitoring for standing water with a special attention to schools where there are ponds on site, for example.”
“Where there is a public health threat, prevention is our best practice. That is especially true in the case of the Zika virus where the infection cannot be passed through casual contact,” said Boettcher.
Officials at Warren County’s largest school district are monitoring the distant Zika developments in Florida and elsewhere outside of Ohio but caution the public not to over-react to news reports.
“While we recognize that there has been a lot of media attention around Zika virus, our school nurses are more concerned about working with families to ensure that students who have food allergies, asthma, or other chronic health conditions remain healthy at school,” said Tracey Carson, spokeswoman for the 11,000-student district.
“If this becomes an issue in Ohio at a later date, we will follow CDC guidelines and (follow) the lead of the Warren County Health Department,” said Carson.
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