ZIKA RESOURCES. Pregnant women, or those trying to become pregnant, have concerns about the link of the Zika virus to birth defects, including microcephaly and congenital Zika syndrome. Asian Americans and Native Hawai‘ians and Pacific Islanders are now able to access information about Zika available in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalog, and Urdu at <www.aboutzika.org>. The website provides prevention basics, toolkits, and local resources in five Asian and Pacific Islander languages. (Image courtesy of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum)

From The Asian Reporter, V27, #13 (July 3, 2017), page 11.

Mosquito season has arrived in the southern United States, which means more people are asking questions about the Zika virus. Pregnant women, or those trying to become pregnant, have concerns because of the link of the virus to birth defects, including microcephaly and congenital Zika syndrome. Parents of young children also want to know more about how to protect their children and keep them safe.

Microcephaly is a condition of a baby’s head being smaller than expected when compared to babies of the same sex and age. Congenital Zika syndrome is a pattern of birth defects found among fetuses and babies infected with the Zika virus during pregnancy. Five complications of congenital Zika syndrome include severe microcephaly, decreased brain tissue with a specific pattern of brain damage, damage to the back of the eye, joints with limited range of motion (such as clubfoot), and too much muscle tone restricting body movement soon after birth.

Many Asian Americans (AA) as well as Native Hawai‘ians and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) are seeking information about Zika in languages they have fluency. Thanks to the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), through a grant from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), information about Zika is now available in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalog, and Urdu. Members of the public and healthcare providers can click on <www.aboutzika.org> to access prevention basics, toolkits, and local resources in five Asian and Pacific Islander languages.

Community-based partner organizations are helping disseminate the guides, which are culturally and linguistically appropriate, to people in Asian Pacific Islander communities. The guides provide easy-to-understand information about who is at risk, what symptoms to look for, and how to get tested.

The materials focus on the basic information people need to know about Zika. For instance, they want to know the virus is transmitted not only through an infected mosquito bite, but also through sex.

Prevention measures are stressed, including applying mosquito repellant, wearing long sleeve shirts and pants, installing screens on all windows, tossing out stagnant water, and properly using condoms.

"When it comes to a topic like the Zika virus, the mix of constantly evolving information and frightening statistics makes the role of community-based organizations even more critical," said Kathy Ko Chin, president and CEO of APIAHF. "This virus is a new and different public-health issue than we have ever dealt with before. Therefore, it is important to not forget the specific needs of AAs and NHPIs in public health education."

To learn more, visit <www.aboutzika.org>.