‘Zika threat on your doorstep?’ Health officials say otherwise

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. – A small group of animal rights activists believe a Zika outbreak in Hendry County is imminent and they are letting neighbors know by posting fliers.

The fliers read “The Zika threat on our doorstep” and pin the possibility of a local outbreak on nearby monkey-breeding facilities.

According to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, monkeys are natural hosts to the Zika virus, poising Hendry County and it’s so-called monkey farms to become “ground zero” to a domestic Zika virus outbreak.

So the monkey facilities must be shut down, said animal rights activist Madeleine Doran.

“Now these monkey facilities are a threat to more than just the monkeys that are imprisoned there. It’s a threat to our population,” she said.

Despite the flier’s claims, monkeys are not likely to spread Zika, though the Florida Department of Health says some monkeys do carry the virus.

“Non-human primates are not likely to be involved in the virus transmission in the United States. To date, no local mosquito-borne Zika virus disease cases have been reported in United States, including Florida,” a statement from the department said.

The World Health Organization has declared Zika an international health crisis. The virus has been linked to serious birth defects to babies born to infected mothers. In Brazil, an estimated 1.5 million people are infected with the mosquito-borne illness.

But Florida residents have solely contracted the disease during international travel. Doran said she does not feel like her group is inciting fear unnecessarily.

“I don’t think so. Given the risk to pregnant mothers and their unborn children, I don’t think that we are alarmists,” she said.

People should still take precautions to protect themselves, health officials said. Wearing mosquito repellent and draining day-old water are helpful techniques.