Oklahoma City-County Health Dept prepares for mosquito season, Zika virus

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — The Oklahoma City-County Health Department is preparing for mosquito season. That includes working on a contingency plan in case the metro encounters the Zika virus, although health experts say that chance is very low.

"Some of these are bad diseases, West Nile can be fatal," said Oklahoma City-County Health Department Director of Public Health Protection Phil Maytubby.

People now not only worry about mosquitoes carrying West Nile, but also the Zika virus.

"We've got some contingency planning in place, just in case something happens. The likelihood of that is very remote," said Maytubby.

Preparations for this mosquito season are already underway at the Oklahoma City-County Health Department.

"It just changes every year. And to be honest most of our West Nile years are low rain and high heat," said Maytubby.

Director of Public Health Protection Phil Maytubby says the department has ordered extra traps to test for West Nile, but also a new type of trap that's geared more towards the type of mosquitos that carry Zika.

"Around the last week of May we set out a few traps around Oklahoma City-County, every week we pick them up, count the mosquitos, separate them based on species," said OCCHD Public Health Specialist Cynthia Baker.

Maytubby says they're also in the process of creating a contingency plan in case the metro does encounter Zika; that includes possibly spraying large areas where any infections. But he says the main things people can do is wear bug spray, long pants and shirts, and get rid of any standing water near your home.

"If everybody would just do this we would have no issues whatsoever, and that's to protect yourself, keep yourself from getting bitten. If you do that you don't have to worry about anything that happens with mosquitos," said Maytubby.

If you wear bug spray you want to make sure it contains DEET. Health experts say you should wear it at all times day or night, because the type of mosquitos that carry Zika actually bite more during the day.