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Air Force actively monitoring ongoing Zika virus infection6 March 4, 2016

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Published February 24, 2016

FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- The Air Force is closely monitoring the emergence of spread, according to CDC, and there has not been local Zika infections spread by
Zika virus infection in the Americas, Oceania, and Africa to help inform and protect mosquitoes in CONUS.
Airmen and their families.
For those who are in areas with ongoing Zika virus spread, Oh said the best way
The Department of Health and Human Services, with its Centers for Disease to prevent infection from Zika virus and other mosquito-borne viruses, such as
Control and Prevention (CDC), is leading the U.S. response to the worldwide Zika dengue and chikungunya, is to prevent mosquito bites by using air conditioning or
outbreak with support from multiple other U.S. federal departments and agencies window and door screens when indoors, wearing long sleeves and pants, using per-
including Department of Defense. methrin-treated clothing and gear, and using insect repellants when outdoors. When
used according to product label, insect repellants registered by the Environmental
“What we know about Zika virus continues to evolve, and we’re focused on Protection Agency are safe to use on children and pregnant women.
providing consistent, science-based guidance to protect our Total Force Airmen and
their family members,” said Col. (Dr.) John Oh, Chief of Preventive Medicine, Air To prevent Zika virus from spreading to CONUS, particularly in the southern
Force Medical Support Agency. For example, CDC recently reported that sexual states that have the mosquito species which carries Zika, dengue, and chikungunya,
transmission of Zika virus is possible. Oh said Zika virus updates have been com- Oh said we must remove standing water where mosquitoes can breed, such as buck-
municated to Air Force Medical Service staff to quickly prevent, detect, and re- ets, birdbaths, dog bowls, old tires, gutters, and other containers.
spond to any potential cases in patients.
To prevent sexually transmitted Zika infection, according to CDC, men who live
Humans become infected by Zika virus primarily through the bite of an infected in or have traveled to an area with Zika infection and who have a pregnant partner
mosquito. Only about one in five persons infected with Zika virus becomes ill. should abstain from sexual activity or consistently and correctly use condoms for
Symptoms may include fever, rash, joint pain, conjunctivitis (red eye), muscle pain, the duration of the pregnancy.
and headache. Most infections are mild, lasting several days to a week, with com-
plete recovery the norm, according to CDC. There is new evidence of a potential For more information and the latest public health updates on Zika virus, visit
link between Zika virus infection during pregnancy and a particular birth defect. CDC.gov.

“There may be a link between Zika virus infection during pregnancy and the
baby having microcephaly, which is a birth defect where the baby’s head is small-
er than expected. Babies with microcephaly often have smaller brains that have
not developed properly,” said Oh. “It’s understandable that people are concerned.
You have a virus that people have never heard of, it’s spread by mosquitoes, which
makes all of us feel vulnerable, and there may be a link with a devastating outcome
in babies,” he said.

The CDC recently advised women who are pregnant to consider postponing
travel to any area where Zika virus transmission is ongoing, and women who are
trying to get pregnant should consult their healthcare provider before traveling. So
far, the few Zika virus infections diagnosed in the Continental United States (CO-
NUS) have occurred in travelers to countries or territories with ongoing Zika virus

Get involved in Kick Butts Day

by Operation Live Well Staff, DHA Communications
Published February 25, 2016

FALLS CHURCH, Va. --Young people nationwide stand out, speak up and seize con- ment visualizing why they “kick butts” and share their story on Twitter, Facebook and
trol against Big Tobacco on Kick Butts Day, a national day of youth activism. Advocates, Instagram with the hashtag #iKickButts.
teachers and community leaders organize events on Kick Butts Day that empower youth
to spread word about tobacco use, the leading cause of preventable death in the United Kick Butts Day is a welcome addition to Operation Live Well (OLW) and Quit To-
States that kills nearly half a millionAmericans each year.This year’s Kick Butts Day will bacco – UCanQuit2.org’s anti-tobacco efforts, https://ucanquit2.org, which have included
be held on March 16, 2016, and marks the 21st year for this annual day of activism. the Great American Spit Out, https://ucanquit2.org/Events/2016/GASPO.aspx, World
No Tobacco Day, https://ucanquit2.org/Events/2015/WNTD.aspx, the Great American
More than 1,000 events took place across the United States and on military bases last Smoke Out, https://ucanquit2.org/Events/2015/GASO15.aspx, Fight the Enemy anti-
year, with 182 registered military events. In 2015, the Coast Guard hosted 60 events at tobacco video contest for teens, http://health.mil/fighttheenemy, and tXtobacco texting
Coast Guard Exchanges in 22 different states over the course of Kick Butts Day week in trivia contest.
which active duty and retired members of the Coast Guard and their families signed a
pledge card to “Quit or Commit not to use Tobacco.” They then received a coupon for $5 Operation Live Well, which supports the National Prevention Strategy, promotes the
off a purchase of $20 or more for use at their local Coast Guard Exchange. The signed health, resiliency, and readiness of Service members and their families.
pledge cards were posted inside the CGX store to create a pledge wall. Photos of the wall
of signed pledge cards were posted to the CGX Facebook page. Quit Tobacco – UCanQuit2.org is an educational campaign for the U.S. military that
provides tobacco cessation support. Their comprehensive website provides many re-
To help make this year’s Kick Butts Day even bigger by hosting more events, visit the sources and tools to help smokers quit, including support to create a personalized quit
Kick Butts Day Activities Database at http://www.kickbuttsday.org/search-activities and plan and live chat support.
search for “easy and quick events” to plan an easy, fun and engaging Kick Butts Day
celebration. If you’re interested in planning a Kick Butts Day event, get started at http://www.kick-
buttsday.org.
New this year to Kick Butts Day is the #iKickButts campaign. Tobacco control ad-
vocates and youth nationwide are asked to tell why and how they’re helping to end the
tobacco epidemic and make the next generation tobacco-free. Whether it’s advocating
for an increase in a state’s cigarette tax, working on a local smoke-free law, encouraging
a loved one to quit smoking or educating others on the deadly consequences of tobacco
use, everyone has a story. Participants can use the #iKickButts generator to create a state-