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Research indicates other mosquitoes may be able to carry ZikaResearch by scientists in Brazil indicates that a mosquito more common than the one primarily known to transmit Zika infections may possibly be able to carry the virus, a development that could further complicate efforts to limit its spread.Posted 04 Mar 2016 02:30PHOTOSAedes aegypti mosquitoes are seen inside Oxitec laboratory in Campinas, Brazil, February 2, 2016. Picture taken February 2, 2016. REUTERS/Paulo WhitakerENLARGECAPTION 2 Email More A A RIO DE JANEIRO: Research by scientists in Brazil indicates that a mosquito more common than the one primarily known to transmit Zika infections may possibly be able to carry the virus, a development that could further complicate efforts to limit its spread. The mosquito species Aedes aegypti has been identified as the primary transmitter of Zika infections, which have been linked to thousands of birth defects as the virus spreads rapidly in Brazil and other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. But the scientists in Brazil announced on Wednesday that they were able to infect another species, Culex quinquefasciatus, with the virus in a laboratory, raising concerns that Zika could be carried by a species more prevalent than Aedes aegypti. They said much more research is needed to learn whether the Culex mosquitoes can transmit Zika infections. In Brazil, Culex quinquefasciatus is 20 times more common than Aedes aegypti, the researchers said. The research, conducted by scientists at the government-funded Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in the northeastern city of Recife, is part of an ongoing trial in which researchers injected 200 of the Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes with rabbit blood infected by Zika. The virus, they said, circulated through the mosquitoes' bodies and into their salivary glands, meaning they might be able to transmit a Zika infection by biting a person. "We saw an ease of infection and an ease of dissemination of the virus to the salivary glands," Constancia Ayres, the lead scientist in the study, told Globo, Brazil's leading television network. The research has yet to be published in a scientific journal or reviewed by scientific peers elsewhere. The foundation said more work was needed to determine whether Culex mosquitoes in the wild already are carrying the virus as well as whether they can transmit Zika infections. Foundation spokeswoman Fabiola Tavares on Thursday said the researchers, who will begin capturing Culex mosquitoes in areas near Recife where the virus is known to be circulating, will now proceed toward answering those questions. The additional research could take up to eight months, Tavares added. If a mosquito besides Aedes aegypti were found to transmit Zika infections, it could make it more difficult to contain the current Zika outbreak that the World Health Organization last month declared a global public health emergency. Much remains unknown about Zika, including whether the virus actually causes microcephaly in babies, a condition defined by unusually small heads that can result in developmental problems. Brazil said it has confirmed more than 640 cases of microcephaly, and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. Brazil is investigating more than 4,200 additional suspected cases of microcephaly. Traces of Zika virus have been found in the bodily fluids and tissue of mothers and babies affected by microcephaly. Culex quinquefasciatus also exists in more temperate climes, such as the southern United States, where it is known to carry the West Nile virus, and can survive winters. Unlike Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus could keep a virus in circulation during cold months. Though the Culex mosquitoes prefer to feed on the blood of birds, they also commonly bite humans, especially in rural areas. That means that targeted pesticide use and other mosquito control efforts for that species, which rests in trees and other high areas, would need to be different from those for Aedes aegypti, which rests in low spots, often indoors. "You can't spray up high the way you can around buildings," said Grayson Brown, director of the University of Kentucky's public health entomology laboratory who was not involved in the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation research. If Culex mosquitoes were indeed proven to transmit Zika, Brown said, "it would really complicate the public health issue." (Reporting by Paulo Prada; Editing by Will Dunham) - Reuters http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/health/research-indicates-other/2571240.html

As of Thursday, March 3, VDH has reported 5 cases of Zika virus disease in adult residents of Virginia to the CDC (2 in Northwest Region, 1 in Northern Region, 1 in Eastern Region and 1 in Central Region). CDC has issued a travel alert (Level 2-Practice Enhanced Precautions) for people traveling to regions and certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing. http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/

Zika Virus UpdateAs of Thursday, March 3, VDH has reported 5 cases of Zika virus disease in adult residents of Virginia to the CDC (2 in Northwest Region, 1 in Northern Region, 1 in Eastern Region and 1 in Central Region). CDC has issued a travel alert (Level 2-Practice Enhanced Precautions) for people traveling to regions and certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing.

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https://www.odh.ohio.gov/odhprograms/bid/zdp/diseases/zika.aspx Updated 03/02/2016 Cases acquired outside Ohio during travel 6Cases acquired in Ohio 0

Zika virus cases in Ohio:

Zika virus cases in Canada, as of March 3, 2016CountryLocally acquiredTravel-relatedCanada016

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Office of CommunicationsThursday, March 3, 2016 First Case of Zika Virus Confirmed in Oklahoma TravelersThe Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) has received confirmation that two state residents acquired the Zika virus during international travel. These are the first laboratory confirmed cases of the virus in Oklahoma. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) laboratory in Ft. Collins, CO notified OSDH of the results this week. Zika virus is transmitted to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito, though there also have been reports of transmission through sexual contact or from mother to unborn child. The disease can cause fever, rash, muscle and joint aches and red eyes. These symptoms typically last several days to a week, and hospitalizations are rare. Most people exposed to Zika virus won’t develop any symptoms at all. The most significant health threat is for pregnant women because Zika virus infections have been linked to the birth defect microcephaly, miscarriages, and other poor birth outcomes in some women infected during their pregnancy. Local transmission of Zika virus is not currently occurring in the United States. “We are recommending that individuals returning from travel to areas where Zika virus has been identified to consult with their physician if they exhibit any of the symptoms associated with the disease, particularly women who are pregnant” said Oklahoma State Epidemiologist Dr. Kristy Bradley. “Fortunately for Oklahoma, the Aedes aegyptimosquito is not commonly found in the state.” Southern states with greater presence of this mosquito are at higher risk of seeing cases of Zika virus spread locally. However, a Zika virus epidemic is unlikely in the 48 contiguous states due to the widespread use of air conditioning, lower density of housing, and availability and use of mosquito repellents. OSDH Acute Disease Service epidemiologists are working directly with health care providers statewide to determine if their patients meet the criteria for testing and arrange for testing to be conducted. There is no vaccine, preventative medication, or specific treatment drug available for Zika virus. The CDC and OSDH advise pregnant women to delay travel to foreign countries and U.S. territories where Zika virus is being transmitted. Oklahomans traveling to Zika-affected areas over the upcoming Spring Break should take extra precautions to protect against mosquito bites. To prevent the spread of the disease, people traveling to those areas should carefully follow steps to avoid mosquito bites while there and for seven days after returning home. Mosquito exposure prevention tips while traveling to affected areas include: Use air conditioning or window/door screens to keep mosquitoes outside. If you are not able to protect yourself from mosquitoes inside your home or hotel, sleep under a mosquito bed net.Use mosquito repellents according to instructions.If weather permits, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.Help reduce the number of mosquitoes outside your home, hotel room or workplace by emptying standing water from containers, such as flowerpots or buckets.For more information on the Zika virus, visit www.ok.gov/health for links to fact sheets in English, Spanish and Portuguese, information from the CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) along with the most recent statistics on cases.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) has received confirmation that two state residents acquired the Zika virus during international travel. These are the first laboratory confirmed cases of the virus in Oklahoma. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) laboratory in Ft. Collins, CO notified OSDH of the results this week. https://www.ok.gov/triton/modules/newsroom/newsroom_article.php?id=150&article_id=18961

Bexar Co 3 Dallas Co 4 Fort Bend Co 1 Harris Co 9 Tarrant Co 1 Travis Co 2 Total 20 https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&hl=en&authuser=0&authuser=0&mid=zv94AJqgUct4.kT4qLMXp3SLU

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ZIKA VIRUS UPDATE Thursday March 3, 2016 http://www.houstontx.gov/health/Epidemiology/Zika_Virus.html GenderAge RangeTravel HistoryTravel MonthConfirmation DateCase Status by CDCFemale60-64Colombia11/1512/22/2015Confirmed PositiveMale35-39Honduras12/1501/28/2016Confirmed PositiveFemale40-45Honduras12/151/29/2016Confirmed PositiveFemale0-10Honduras1/162/22/2016Confirmed PositiveFemale45-50Guatemala1/162/25/2016Confirmed Positive

ZIKA VIRUS UPDATE Thursday March 3, 2016 http://www.houstontx.gov/health/Epidemiology/Zika_Virus.html GenderAge RangeTravel HistoryTravel MonthConfirmation DateCase Status by CDCFemale60-64Colombia11/1512/22/2015Confirmed PositiveMale35-39Honduras12/1501/28/2016Confirmed PositiveFemale40-45Honduras12/151/29/2016Confirmed PositiveFemale0-10Honduras1/162/22/2016Confirmed PositiveFemale45-50Guatemala1/162/25/2016Confirmed Positive

HCPHES Zika Virus Cases*Please note, these are the most current number of confirmed cases. This list is updated every Thursday by 2pm CST. Age RangeGenderTravel MonthCountry of TravelStatus40-49F11/2015El SalvadorRecovered20-29M11/2015El SalvadorRecovered40-49F11/2015El SalvadorRecovered< 10M12/2015El SalvadorRecoveredNumber of pregnancy related cases: 0 http://www.hcphes.org/publications/hcphes_responds/2016__zika_virus/

Texas has had 18 confirmed cases of Zika virus disease. 17 were in travelers who were infected abroad and diagnosed after they returned home. One case involved a Dallas County resident who had sexual contact with someone who acquired the Zika infection while traveling abroad. Case counts by county: Bexar County – 3Dallas County – 2Fort Bend County – 1Harris County – 9Tarrant County – 1Travis County - 2 http://www.texaszika.org/

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This marks the first case of Zika detected in Wake County and the fifth case in the state of North Carolina. http://www.wakegov.com/news/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=584

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03First Case of Zika Found in Wake Countyby Stephen R. Walston on 3/3/2016 10:34 AMCategory: Human Services; WakeGOV Home Page; ReadyWakeWake County Public Health officials confirm one county resident contracted the Zika virus disease while traveling abroad. This marks the first case of Zika detected in Wake County and the fifth case in the state of North Carolina. Upon returning to the United States, the patient exhibited symptoms associated with the Zika virus disease. A private physician tested the patient for the virus, and the test came back positive for Zika. Health care officials are now closely monitoring the patient. "We are in contact with the patient and monitoring the patient's progress," said Sue Lynn Ledford, Public Health Division director at Wake County. "We want to reassure citizens that there is currently no risk of transmission from this patient to others." The Wake County Public Health Division staff started preparing proactively several months ago for the possibility of Zika in the county. They keep in constant contact with state and federal partners to ensure they have the latest information about the virus. Staff also regularly share this insight with local physicians and educate them on the kinds of questions to ask patients to help detect any potential cases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are more than 100 cases of travel-associated Zika virus disease in the United States; however, there are zero cases of transmission by mosquitoes in the United States. One person in the United States also got Zika by having sex with an infected man. Men who have traveled to Zika-affected countries should not have sex, or they should use condoms every time they have sex for one month after returning. Zika is generally a mild illness, but children born to women who were infected with the Zika virus disease during pregnancy may have a higher chance of birth defects. Only one out of every five people infected with Zika virus disease will show symptoms. Zika's symptoms typically appear within two to seven days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Common symptoms include fever, red eyes, joint pains and rash. Other symptoms may include headache or muscle pain. Citizens are reminded that they can protect themselves from mosquito bites by: Reducing time spent outdoors.Wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts treated with permethrin insect repellent when spending time outdoors.Applying EPA-approved mosquito repellents to exposed skin. Follow product instructions.Using air conditioning instead of opening windows and doors. Only open windows and doors with screens on them.For additional information about Zika virus disease, visit the Wake County Public Health Division's mosquito prevention webpage or cdc.gov/zika.

http://www.wakegov.com/news/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=584 Wake County Public Health officials confirm one county resident contracted the Zika virus disease while traveling abroad. This marks the first case of Zika detected in Wake County and the fifth case in the state of North Carolina. Upon returning to the United States, the patient exhibited symptoms associated with the Zika virus disease. A private physician tested the patient for the virus, and the test came back positive for Zika. Health care officials are now closely monitoring the patient.

Mosquitoes don’t bug rich tourists on Marlon Brando’s island. Here’s why that mattersGREGORY BOISSY FOR STAT A researcher at the Institut Louis Malardé in Tahiti prepares mosquito pupae to be sorted by gender. By KAREN WEINTRAUB @kweintraub MARCH 3, 2016 TwitterFacebookLinkedInEmailPrint TETIAROA, French Polynesia — On this remote South Pacific atoll owned by Marlon Brando’s family, a French biologist is undertaking an ambitious experiment that could help change how we fight mosquitoes — and the diseases they spread. Hervé Bossin and his team have released more than 1 million sterile male mosquitoes since September, triggering a hundredfold drop in the mosquito population on one islet of Tetiaroa, formerly a retreat for Polynesian royalty. Mosquitoes cause more human illness than any other creature on earth, killing 800,000 children a year, on average. The biting females carry malaria, dengue, yellow fever, and — most recently — Zika, which is suspected of triggering birth defects and neurological damage in some patients. “All of this happens because of mosquitoes,” said Bossin. Read more: Zika virus linked firmly to paralysisZika struck this part of the South Pacific in 2013-2014 before jumping to the Americas last year, where it has swept through two-dozen countries. Bossin didn’t catch Zika, but several colleagues did, as did an estimated 60 percent of the population of French Polynesia, a collection of five archipelagos just east of the international date line and 2,600 miles south of Hawaii. Mosquito control usually involves spraying chemicals and asking people to clean up sources of standing water in their yards. But these traditional methods won’t halt the global spread of disease, said Bossin, who heads the mosquito lab at the Institut Louis Malardé in Tahiti, the largest of the Polynesian islands. Read more: Scientists on remote island unravel Zika’s mysteriesSpraying insecticide can be toxic to other creatures. People too easily slip back into habits that allow the insects to flourish; they leave standing water in trash piles, flower pots, pet bowls, and backyard pools. Mosquitoes lay eggs unseen in ship’s hulls and inside packing crates and airplanes, allowing them to spread to new habitats. And people carry diseases from one time zone to another — once bitten by a mosquito, their sickness can be transmitted to others. “Response is a losing battle,” Bossin said, urging more aggressive steps to thwart disease outbreaks before they can start. “All we can do is prevention.” KAREN WEINTRAUB FOR STAT Hervé Bossin and Margaux Jourdainne turn on traps used to capture mosquitoes in Tetiaroa. An ideal natural laboratoryBossin stood outside a research station on Tetiaroa’s main islet one muggy day last month. “A year ago, if you were here during the day, you would have been surrounded by mosquitoes and bitten,” he said. On this day, none was in sight. The tiny island is one of 12 surrounding a turquoise lagoon. The atoll grabbed global headlines when Marlon Brando bought it in 1967. He fell in love with the place while filming “Mutiny on the Bounty” in nearby Tahiti. He also fell in love with his Polynesian costar, Tarita Teri’ipaia, who became his third wife. Several of their grandchildren still live in Tetiaroa; one, Manea, who inherited his grandfather’s jawline, helps Bossin with his research. They share the atoll with an ultra-exclusive, environmentally friendly resort called The Brando, where couples can stay for $2,600 a night; and a research station run by the Tetiaroa Society, a nonprofit dedicated to scientific research that promotes sustainable interdependence between people and nature. Bossin, a medical entomologist, estimates that there were tens of thousands of biting mosquitoes on Tetiaroa’s main islet, Onetahi, when he began releasing sterile males there in September. At the peak of last year’s rainy season, each of the 20 traps he set collected an average of 16 biting females a day. (Only the females suck blood, when they need extra energy to lay eggs.) Now, he’s hard-pressed to find more than a dozen across the whole islet. Islands, Bossin said, are “ideal settings” for doing this kind of work. They are natural laboratories, a way to start simply, get a clear picture of causes and effects, and then move on to more complex systems, he said. His research is time-consuming and expensive, running about $300,000, half paid by the local and the French governments, and half coming from in-kind contributions from the Tetiaroa Society and the resort. For now, his work is designed to keep mosquitoes away from the tourists, who come to Tetiaroa to fish, snorkel, take in the incredible views, and maybe learn a little science. Bossin is happy to explain his work to anyone who is interested, figuring it can’t hurt for wealthy people to learn about what he does. Some might object to the effort he spends protecting mostly white, rich people. But Bossin, who earned an MBA in addition to his PhD, knows that there will be no jobs for locals if mosquitoes scare off Polynesian pleasure-seekers. If the approach works here, he plans to export it to other resorts across the South Pacific, and maybe the world. “Other resorts and private islands have already expressed interest and are waiting to see the results of our Tetiaroa operation,” he said in an email. On a sweaty, overcast morning last month, Bossin set off in a motorboat steered by Manea Brando to the far side of the lagoon, to two islets he uses as experimental controls — where he hasn’t released sterile mosquitoes. As they eased between sandbars and chunks of coral, young black-tipped and yellow sharks zigzagged by, rays sped just below the water’s surface, and a sea turtle crossed their path. Wading ashore onto the first islet, Bossin and graduate student Margaux Jourdainne headed into the dense coconut groves planted a half-century earlier to boost coconut oil exports. Bossin hurriedly slipped the protective green trash bag off a mosquito trap. He linked the wires of a battery and checked that the tiny fan whirred, sending out an aroma to lure in the insects. He stretched netting over the top to prevent escape and moved on. His motions were fluid and fast. To show why, he stood still for 30 seconds, bare arm outstretched. A mosquito landed and prepared to dine. Bossin could easily have crushed the bug. But he is not that kind of man. He shooed it away instead. GREGORY BOISSY FOR STAT Mosquito pupae at the Institut Louis Malardé in Tahiti. Humbled by mosquitoesBossin, who spent childhood afternoons absorbed by the insects in his suburban Paris backyard, finds mosquitoes fascinating. There are 3,500 named species of mosquitoes across the world, but only about 200 are a nuisance to humans. In French Polynesia, of the 15 local species, only three – Aedes aegypti, Aedes polynesiensis, and Culex quinquefasciatus – threaten human health. He’s impressed that mosquitoes can survive in so many parts of the world. “Even though I’m working to reduce the damage they do to us, I’m still very humble in the face of such species — such a level of adaptation to the environment,” he said. Bossin was originally headed for life as a “lab rat” studying genetics, he said, but his early work left him feeling he wasn’t making enough of a difference in the world. After earning a PhD in France, he did postdoctoral research for the US Department of Agriculture in Gainesville, Fla., for three years, where he learned to fluently speak the kind of American English that quickly endears him to tourists and foreign colleagues. Bossin greets everyone from hotel staff to scientists by first name and with the French-style quick kiss on each cheek. He worked for the United Nations in Vienna studying mosquito-borne diseases, and in 2005 attended a public health conference in French Polynesia, where he met the head of the Institut Louis Malardé’s mosquito lab. He helped the institute run a field study, and, he said, “a couple of years later, I was the one running the show.” Harnessing bacteria that infect mosquitoesIn a sort of ironic twist, Bossin hopes to stop mosquitoes by infectingthem. He’s taking a two-pronged approach: In one, he wants to prevent mosquitoes from spreading disease in populated areas, and in the other, intended for resorts, he aims to get rid of mosquitoes entirely. A bacterium called Wolbachia is his weapon of choice for both. Wolbachia live inside many insect species, including numerous mosquitoes. Infect the Aedes aegypti mosquito with Wolbachia, and the mosquito responsible for spreading dengue, chikungunya, West Nile and other viruses can no longer pass these diseases on to people, a handful of scientific teams around the world have shown. Although this approach still has to be proven effective against Zika, its broad effectiveness suggests it will be. “We have every expectation that they’ll also be resistant to Zika,” said Cameron Simmons, a Wolbachia expert and professor at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Simmons and his colleagues have been testing Wolbachia-infested mosquitoes in field trials for the last five years in Australia, and they are now scaling up their work into larger cities in Vietnam and Java. When a Wolbachia-infested male inseminates an uninfected female, she will never be able to lay viable eggs. But when infested females mate — regardless of the status of the male — their offspring inherit the Wolbachia. This means that over just a few generations, all the mosquitoes in a population will be infested — and apparently unable to spread disease. Simmons anticipates it will cost under $1 per person to release enough infested females to block mosquitoes from passing on dengue. That is far less than spraying or genetically engineering mosquitoes — an approach being tried by other scientists — although he says that a variety of complementary approaches will be needed to contain disease. Read more: Let’s sic ‘gene drive’ on Zika-carrying mosquitoesNone of hundreds of studies has seen any negative consequences from infecting mosquitoes with Wolbachia — because the bacteria are already present in the environment and are not transmitted to predators, said Steven Sinkins, a Wolbachia expert at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom. The work does not require genetic engineering, he said, quieting concerns about tinkering too much with nature. Wolbachia also acts in several ways to keep mosquitoes from passing on disease, Sinkins said, so it is unlikely that the insects can evolve to become less vulnerable to it. Sinkins is getting ready to release Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in Malaysia as part of a research project, and is optimistic that studies like his will show that such mosquitoes can be a safe, effective way of preventing mosquito-borne diseases. “I hope very much that this will be Wolbachia’s decade,” Sinkins said. GREGORY BOISSY FOR STAT Researchers in Tahiti prepare mosquito pupae to be sorted by gender. The male mosquitoes, which are sterile, will be released on an islet 20 miles away in an attempt to eradicate the mosquito population there. An unwelcome visitorThe experiment on Tetiaroa is one of the first to test whether releasing sterile, Wolbachia-infested male mosquitoes can completely and safely erase mosquitoes from an ecosystem. Bossin is starting with one island, and then will expand to the whole atoll. Eventually, he wants to protect the entire Polynesian archipelago. “Our goal is not to remove [polynesiensis mosquitoes] from the earth,” Bossin said. “It’s to make sure that on populated islands, we are no longer exposed.” Every Monday and Tuesday morning in his Tahati lab, a technician takes Wolbachia-infected mosquito pupae and gently drops them between two tilted glass plates. Like in a coin sorter, the smaller male pupae slip further down between the plates, while the bigger females get stuck closer to the top, enabling relatively easy gender separation. On Tuesdays at midday, the pupae are packaged and flown on a small plane to Tetiaroa’s research station where they will spend another day maturing, 650 to a white plastic tub. Thursday mornings, Manea Brando stacks dozens of tubs in a golf cart and drives around the islet, opening them one at a time in different spots. Tens of thousands of sterile males fly off in search of mates, hopefully ending the family tree of Onetahi’s polynesiensis. So far, Bossin said he’s seen no downside to the elimination. There are no bats or frogs in French Polynesia to feast on mosquitoes, and no insect-eating bugs on the atoll. Spiders have plenty of other options. Aedes polynesiensis was introduced to Polynesia 1,000 years ago, as people from Fiji began to populate the Polynesian archipelagos. “It was an introduced, invasive species that does not sustain other species,” Bossin said. Aedes aegypti arrived in the South Pacific about 200 years ago, aboard boats from Africa. It spread widely throughout French Polynesia only after World War II, with the urbanization of atolls across the territory. “It could never have come here without the presence of humans,” Bossin said. Although climate change likely plays a role in the expansion of mosquito habitats worldwide, he said, “the population genetics of mosquitoes exactly maps the movement of people.” GREGORY BOISSY FOR STAT A researcher at the Institut Louis Malardé prepares mosquito pupae to be sorted by gender. Bossin plans to monitor the mosquito population to ensure the population doesn’t rebound. He may need to release more sterile males, he said, but it’s too soon to know. Walking through the densest area of Onetahi, Bossin paused to marvel at his own success. Just a few years ago, the workers who built the guest villas on the islet were constantly complaining about the mosquitoes. “It feels incredibly comfortable here now,” he said. “Elimination is within reach.” Returning from Tetiaroa to Tahiti takes 2 1/2 hours by boat or 20 minutes by a six-seat airplane. On one recent trip, as the five passengers scrambled aboard, a stowaway came along, too. A fly buzzed around the cabin during the flight and disappeared on landing. It wasn’t a mosquito, but its presence showed just how easily people can transport insects from one place to another, and what Bossin and other scientists are up against, as they try to stop this invasive creature and the disease and misery it spreads. Karen Weintraub can be reached at [email protected] Follow Karen on Twitter @kweintraub

Wolbachia bacteria being used to control mosquitoes on Tetiaroa, French Polynesia.

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Full sequence released LOCUS KU820899 10272 bp RNA linear VRL 29-FEB-2016 DEFINITION Zika virus isolate ZJ03 polyprotein gene, complete cds. ACCESSION KU820899 VERSION KU820899.1 GI:1001904509 KEYWORDS . SOURCE Zika virus ORGANISM Zika virus Viruses; ssRNA viruses; ssRNA positive-strand viruses, no DNA stage; Flaviviridae; Flavivirus. REFERENCE 1 (bases 1 to 10272) AUTHORS Zhang,Y., Sun,Y., Pan,J., Mao,H., Yan,H., Lou,X., Chen,Z. and Xia,S. TITLE Direct Submission JOURNAL Submitted (27-FEB-2016) Department of Microbiology, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 3399 Binsheng Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310051, P. R. China COMMENT ##Assembly-Data-START## Assembly Method :: Geneious v. 8.1.7 Sequencing Technology :: Sanger dideoxy sequencing ##Assembly-Data-END## FEATURES Location/Qualifiers source 1..10272 /organism="Zika virus" /mol_type="genomic RNA" /isolate="ZJ03" /host="Homo sapiens" /db_xref="taxon:64320" /country="China" /collection_date="17-Feb-2016"