With temperatures in the teens this week, many of us are at least wishing we had trips to warmer climates planned this winter.

But with the Zika virus continuing to spread rapidly, Dallas County Public Health Program Manager Lisa Anderson says it’s important to be prepared to protect yourself.

“There’s no vaccine to prevent this, so really the only thing you can do is protect yourself from getting bit (by mosquitos).  So you want to, for instance cover exposed skin by wearing long sleeve shirts and long pants, which is not what we typically want to do when we go visit the tropics.  It’s important for pregnant women and breast feeding women especially to (Environmental Protection Agency) registered insect repellant.”

Though no local mosquito-borne cases of the virus have been reported in the U.S. there have been several travel-associated cases and the Center for Disease Control expects the number of cases to increase due to recent outbreaks.

It is estimated that 80 percent of cases will not be diagnosed because some people do not show symptoms.

A link to more information on the disease can be found HERE.