Our country as a whole isn't ready for the Zika virus, but it's coming whether we're ready for it or not.  So we need to prepare ourselves and have prevention methods on standby at all times.

The World Health Organization describes mosquitoes as the greatest menace known to mankind. Microsoft founder Bill Gates calls them the deadliest animals on earth. 

I couldn’t agree more. They annoy everyone and, with Summer upon us, they're going to start taking over our outdoor activities. Mosquitoes spread vector-borne diseases (i.e. transmitted by parasite or insect) such as malaria, dengue, yellow fever and now the Zika disease.

The Zika Virus is more scary than most thought it would be. I know I'm nervous about it and I know many other people who are even more nervous to travel outside of the United States.

There continues to be more information produced and research done on the Zika Virus every day. With that in mind, here are five facts to help understand what the Zika Virus actually is:

Five Facts About The Zika Virus

1. The Zika virus is spread by mosquito bites and is sexually transmitted.
2. Symptoms of Zika virus infection are usually mild.
3. There's no vaccine to protect against the Zika virus.
4. Zika began in Africa.
5. Unborn babies are most at risk from Zika virus complications.

Click here to find several fact sheets and posters from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention that contain helpful information.

• Mosquito Bite Prevention
• Zika: The Basics of the Virus & How to Protect Against It
• What can be Done

As of May 25, 2016, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all 591 Zika cases currently reported in the United States thus far have been travel-associated. No locally acquired vector-borne cases have been recorded. Below you can see that only 5 states haven't reported any cases (Idaho, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota).

http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/united-states.html

While there is no stopping this virus, you can prevent and reduce the possibility of getting bit by a mosquito carrying this virus. Durvet offers a dozen spray, wipe, fogger, mist and spot-on insecticide products that are all indicated for killing, repelling and controlling mosquitoes. In addition, Durvet carries 3M’s full UltraThon line of insecticides with DEET.

11 Durvet Products with Mosquito Claims
(click the title to go to the specific product page)

• POWER® Fly Spray & Wipe  (Equine) trademark of Pyranha, Inc. - Kills flies, mosquitoes and ticks - Citronella scented - Won’t attract dust and grime - Can be sprayed or wiped on - Compare to RepelX® and others on the market ...
• No-Bite™ IGR Fogger 3-Pack (Around the Barn) IGR No-Bite™ House Fogger 3 Pack provides effective long-term control and prevents reinfestation for 7 months. Kills adult and preadult fleas including flea eggs, cockroaches, spiders, ants, flies, mosquitoes, ...
• No-Bite™ Fogger 3-Pack (Around the Barn)... Beetles, Centipedes, Cockroaches, Confused Flour Beetles, Crickets, Earwigs, Firebrats, Flies, Fruit Flies, Gnats, Grasshoppers, Hornets, House Flies, Midges, Millipedes, Mole Crickets,Mosquitoes, Palmetto ...
• No-Bite™ IGR Flea and Tick Mist (Pet)... months - Effective long-term control - For home use in basements, living rooms, kitchens & garages- Repels flies, gnats, and mosquitoes Pyrethrins
• No-Bite™ Flea and Tick Mist (Pet)... flies, gnats, and mosquitoes - Contains a grooming and conditioning agent to ease grooming and condition skin and coat - Prevents dry skin - Contains 2 synergists for extra flea and tick fighting ...
• Synergized Permethrin 1% (Around the Barn)... flies, mosquitoes and black flies. For use on sheep to control sheep keds and lice. For use in and around horse, beef, dairy, swine, sheep and poultry premises, animal hospital pens, kennels and outside ...
• Super II Dairy and Farm Spray (Livestock) Super II Dairy & Farm Spray is a ready-to-use pyrethrin/vapona formulation containing .05% Pyrethrins, 0.1% PBO, and 0.5% DDVP and can be applied in animal space and premises. Controls flies, mosquitoes, ...
• Screw Worm Aerosol (Livestock) Multi-Purpose Insecticide Spray A screw worm and ear tick spray that controls pests for up to four weeks. For control of Stable flies, Horse Flies, Deer Flies, Face Flies, House Flies, Horn Flies,Mosquitoes, ...
• FlyRID® Plus Spot-On (Equine) Kills and repels flies, gnats, mosquitoes, and ticks on horses. Kills and repels flies, gnats,mosquitoes, and ticks on horses. Horses - Kills and repels Horn Flies, Face Flies, Stable ...
• FlyRID® Plus Spray (Equine)... house flies, stable flies, deer flies, mosquitoes, and gnats - Controls fleas and ticks on dogs for 35 days. - Controls adult and larvae stages of fleas and ticks. - Great for barns, stables and ...
• Dairy Bomb 55Z (Livestock)Dairy Bomb 55Z kills and repels: Stable Flies, Horse Flies, Face Flies, Deer Flies, House Flies,Mosquitoes and Gnats. Not Approved for Sale in California. Dairy Bomb 55Z kills and repels: Stable ...

If you're interested in purchasing any of the products above from a dealer near you, please use our dealer locator at Durvet.com: https://durvet.com/find-a-store/

(Resources for this article:
http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/zika-virus-outbreak/zika-virus-coming-we-re-not-ready-u-s-experts-n567261)