CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – Horry County has been working with DHEC to draft up a plan in case the Zika virus comes to our area.
Councilmember Johnny Vaught says for the fight against Zika Horry County will work in three different phases. The first step is prevention, and they’re working to remove spaces where mosquitoes breed.
“Get people to go around their yards and when you find a container like an old tire or something like that that holds rainwater or whatever, tip it and toss it,” said Vaught.
They’ve also drafted a travel related response which means the person infected got the virus somewhere else.
In that case, Vaught says the county would treat all areas where mosquitoes breed within a 500 foot radius of the infected person’s home.
“If they got it here, that means there are mosquitoes here that carry the virus, and our response plan totally increases, we really crank it up,” said Vaught.
If mosquitoes were found here that carry the virus, the county would draw a half mile radius around the infected person’s home, use larvicide in breeding places, add additional sprayers, and set traps to test mosquitoes.
It’s a costly project, but Vaught says they have the money.
Already, Vaught says the county has put aside $180,000 for aerial spraying alone. They’re also using traps, larvicide, backpack sprayers, foggers, and ground sprayers because right now, Vaught says prevention has to be taken seriously.
“Once something gets ahead of you, then you’re trying to catch up and people die, and people get the virus,” said Vaught.
So far. DHEC reports there have been 41 travel related cases for the Zika virus reported in South Carolina.
No cases have been found so far for Zika mosquitoes that were bred in South Carolina.