>> 2016 HAS BEEN THE YEAR OF THE
ZIKA VIRUS.
NOW THE BATTLE OF THE VIRUS IS
GETTING CLOSER TO HOME FROM
CONCERNS ABOUT TRAVEL, TO
PREGNANT WOMEN SCRAMBLING TO GET
TESTED FOR THE VIRUS KNOWN TO
CAUSE SEVERE BIRTH DEFECTS,
.
JOINING US LIVE THIS MORNING
WITH EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
ABOUT ZIKA IS WDSU MEDICAL
EDITOR DR. COREY HEBERT.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS
MORNING.
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
THAT PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
THE VIRUS?
>> I AM SO CONCERNED ABOUT THIS.
WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS
FOR ALMOST A YEAR.
IT HAS HAPPENED IS THAT OUR
WORST NIGHTMARES HAVE COME TRUE.
WE THOUGHT WE WOULD JUST HAVE
THIS MOSQUITO OUTSIDE THE UNITED
STATES AND IT WOULD JUST BE A
TRAVELER ISSUE BUT NOW WHAT WE
FIND IS IT IS NOT JUST A
TRAVELER'S ISSUE BECAUSE WE HAVE
IN MIAMI, TRANSMISSION OF THE
ZIKA VIRUS FROM PERSON-TO-PERSON
IN MIAMI.
THAT MEANS THAT WHAT DO YOU HAVE
TO DO?
YOU HAVE TO ATTACK YOURSELF AT
ALL COSTS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT
ZIKA IS SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED.
WE KNOW YOU CAN GET IT FROM THE
BITE OF A MOSQUITO WHICH FOR ALL
PRACTICAL PURPOSES IS A
MINIATURE HYPODERMIC NEEDLE.
IN NEW ORLEANS, HOW DO YOU NOT
GET BIT BY A MOSQUITO?
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE.
SO I REALLY CONCERNED.
>> WE HAVE 19 CASES OF THE ZIKA
VIRUS IN THE STATE RIGHT NOW.
TWO IN ORLEANS PARISH AND THEY
ARE ALL TRAVEL RELATED AS YOU
ARE SAYING.
LET'S BREAK THIS DOWN FOR
PEOPLE.
ALL OF THESE PEOPLE GOT BIT
SOMEWHERE OUT OF THE STATE AND
CAME HERE BUT THAT IS A HUGE
CONCERN.
>> RIGHT, BECAUSE WHEN YOU GO
OUT OF THE UNITED STATES ONE OF
THESE ZIKA-AFFECTED COUNTRIES
YOU CAN TRANSMIT THIS YOUR
PARTNER THROUGH SEXUAL
INTERCOURSE.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT YOU HAVE TO
KNOW THAT YOU HAD THE ZIKA
VIRUS.
IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE IT IN JUST
WENT TO THE COUNTRY -- YOU'RE
SUPPOSED TO HAVE SEXUAL
INTERCOURSE PROTECTED WITH A
CONDOM FOR ABOUT EIGHT WEEKS BUT
IF YOU GET THE ZIKA VIRUS YOU
ARE SUPPOSED TO NOT HAVE
UNPROTECTED SEX FOR SIX MONTHS.
IN A FAMILY WHERE PEOPLE ARE
DOING WHAT THEY DO, THEN SIX
MONTHS -- PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING
TO DO THAT WHICH MEANS IT WILL
BE TRANSMITTED.
WHEN IT IS TRANSMITTED THAT IS
WHEN THESE THINGS CAN HAPPEN.
IF YOU GET THE ZIKA VIRUS AND
YOU ARE PREGNANT -- YOU WILL
HAVE A VIRAL INFECTION.
THEORETICALLY SOME
CONJUNCTIVITIS OR JOIN POINT
THIS THAT -- OR JOINT PAIN.
IF YOU ARE PREGNANT YOUR CHILD
CAN HAVE MICROCEPHALY WHICH IS
IRREVERSIBLE BRAIN AMAGE.
IN RIO RIGHT NOW, THEY HAVE HAD
THOUSANDS OF BABIES BORN THAT
ARE -- THAT HAVE MICROCEPHALY
WHICH IS IRREVERSIBLE.
THIS IS A POWDER KEG.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
YOU REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE
THAT YOU ARE GETTING ALL OF THE
STANDING WATER FROM AROUND YOUR
HOUSE.
IF YOU RENT, HE DID TO CALL YOUR
LANDLORD AND TELL THEM THAT YOU
NEED TO HAVE STANDING WATER
REMOVED.
NEED TO PUT ON MOSQUITO
REPELLENT.
YOU DON'T WANT TO GET BITTEN AND
YOU HAVE TO PUT SCREENS ON YOUR
WINDOWS AND ON YOUR DOORS
BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY WAY
THAT YOU CAN DO THIS.
CONGRESS HAS MADE ME MAD.
CONGRESS IS NOT IN SESSION AND
THEY DID NOT ALLOCATE THE MONEY
BEFORE VACATION SO I THINK THEY
SHOULD TAKE A REAL IMPORTANT
LESSON FROM OUR LEGISLATURE LIKE
WHEN WE HAVE A PROBLEM WE HAVE
LIKE AN EMERGENCY SESSION.
>> WE HAVE A SESSION EMERGENCY
TO TAKE CARE OF ALLOCATING THE
MONEY FOR SERIOUS SITUATIONS.
IF WE START HAVING A LOT OF