By Tom Ackerman  |  [email protected]

Mosquito netting won’t be necessary for Iowans to avoid the Zika virus when (or if) it warms up, but those traveling abroad for spring break might need them.

There is not a strong threat for those in the Midwest, because the Aedes aegypti species that carries the virus does not live this far north, Iowa public-health officials said.

Johnson County Public Health Director Doug Beardsley said there was “no serious threat” from the virus.

“Johnson County is not anymore at risk or less than other counties in Iowa,” he said.

But Ann Garvey, a deputy medical director at the Iowa Department of Public Health, said there is concern with students traveling abroad for spring break.

“We have more Culex mosquitos,” she said. Culex is the species most associated with West Nile Virus, another disease spread by mosquitos.

Garvey said most people who contract Zika don’t show any symptoms and may not even know they’re carrying it. For those who do, symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye.

Garvey said those going to warmer climates should be prepared to fight off the bloodsuckers.

“Take mosquito-bite-prevention measures,” Garvey said. “These mosquitos like to bite during the daytime. In Iowa, we are used to putting on spray in evening.”

Garvey and the Center s for Disease Control & Prevention also recommend that pregnant women not travel to infected areas until more is known about the condition, as there are serious risks for the fetus if the virus is contracted.

“For pregnant women, the possibility of a miscarriage is apparent,” Garvey said. “This could have devastating impacts on a baby.”

In addition, public-health officials said a mosquito in Iowa could bite an infected person and then carry the Zika virus itself. The disease is being researched heavily because many factors are still unknown.

Garvey said connections with Guillain-Barré syndrome are being looked into. It is an immune response in the nervous system that causes the body to damage its own cells, she said.

“It seems to be something that might be occurring more commonly. Officials are still looking into connecting the issues,” Garvey said. “That’s why we’re recommending people stay away from infected areas until we better understand the risk.”

The virus may also be spread sexually, and officials advise people to wait a month before having sex after visiting an infected area and to use a condom.

Some students said the risks were enough to make them think twice about vacationing in Mexico and the U.S. South, where one may catch the virus.

“[Traveling] would make me worried,” said Youngsin Park, a student from South Korea.

She said she wouldn’t go to Mexico or another country because she thought it was too risky.

UI student Liam Sharkey said his concern lies with the lack of knowledge about the disease globally.

“Before I make a decision on whether I would go, I’d like to see more articles written about it to realize how big of an issue it is,” he said.