Before people begin to head out on spring and summer travel, the City of Lubbock released a series of videos on the Zika virus in order to inform people of what they need to know.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, there are currently 13 cases in Texas and Lubbock does not have a case.
Dr. Ron Cook is the city’s Health Authority and Medical Director and he appears in the videos from the city.
Katherine Wells, Director of Public Health for the city, said this is the first step of a larger campaign to alert people about the Zika virus.
“In the next month or two, we’re going to start seeing a larger mosquito population and that’s when I think the public’s going to start becoming concerned,” Wells said.
She said there will be more information in the future for spring break travelers as well as other information about how to protect against mosquitoes.
“We really want those people to be aware of the Zika virus, prevent themselves from getting sick while they’re traveling, and then not to bring it back to this area,” Wells said.
Her advice for people once mosquitoes start to appear is to wear long sleeves and pants and to use an EPA approved mosquito repellant.
More information can be found at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website or through the Texas Department of State Health Services.
