TIFTON — Kenneth Lowrey, South Health District epidemiologist, presented the City Council with a Zika update for the area at the June 5 workshop meeting.

According to Lowrey, one of the types of mosquito that carries Zika, Aedes albopictus, is prevalent in Georgia.

“Their biting tendencies are typically between the months of May and October,” said Lowry.

The best way to prevent the spread of Zika is through the prevention of mosquito bites and for those who have traveled to areas where Zika has been found to take preventative measures.

“The Georgia Department of Public Health has devised an action plan that mirrors what the CDC (Center for Disease Control) has come out with in the event that we have local transmission within our community,” Lowrey said.

Currently, Georgia has only had instances of travel related transmission, which means that people contracted Zika elsewhere, Both Florida and Texas have had local transmission in 2016, but as of now no local transmission cases have been reported in the US for 2017, according to the CDC.

Lowrey said that since Zika is within the same virus family as dengue fever, it is difficult to differentiate between the two, and asked that any local health providers who are testing for Zika reach out to the DPH.

Mayor Julie Smith said that mosquito control is something they’re looking into, and Pyrzenski said that he would reach out to the county to see when mosquito spraying is scheduled. The city has applied for a scrap tire program to help prevent standing water, which is a breeding ground for mosquitoes.