sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

There have now been four confirmed cases of Zika infection in the Miami area in people who had NOT recently returned from endemic areas in Latin America or the Caribbean. The bad news: this means that there are mosquitoes spreading the virus. The good news: the mosquitoes responsible never fly very far - 1/2 of a mile or so - and so - for now, anyway - the risk is confined to a small area. Undoubtedly we will see more, and a broader area of risk.

The greatest risk, as we have all seen on the news - is if a pregnant woman gets infected, either by a bite or through sexual contact with a man who is infected. The risk continues, possibly for a month after infection, if a woman gets pregnant even after recovering from an infection. The fetus of an infected mother may develop microcephaly - a small brain with lowered intellectual capabilities.

Things to know for now: the risk is limited to a small area of Miami. There is no current risk elsewhere in Florida. The mosquito that carries Zika and Dengue Fever (also rare but possible in Florida) bites during the daytime hours. Bednets and using repellent at night will not help - there has been a lot of misinformation about this. But venturing outdoors in the daytime may expose you, and so repellent should be used whenever there are mosquitoes around. Pregnant (or potentially pregnant) women should apply repellent before going outdoors in the daytime, and, like sunscreen, should be reapplied frequently if sweating or swimming. Permethrin is a repellent that can be used on clothing so that DEET only has to be applied to exposed skin. Permethrin is available at Bass Pro Shop and on Amazon.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

This is a scary situation. Mosquitos fly, and Congress has decided Zika isn't enough of a threat to supply money to protect us. I have a good repellant and also Permethrin. Luckily, mosquitoes are almost non-existent around here.