Hallee Meltzer // Photo Editor PROMOTING PRECAUTIONS: The University of Miami is implementing initiatives to protect students against the Zika virus, including passing out 6,000 spray bottles of mosquito repellant in the residential colleges.
Zika virus lands in Miami By Isabella Cueto News Editor
The University of Miami’s campus is its crowning glory. Lush flora adorns the walkways. The Foote Green and lines of palm trees are constantly featured in promotional videos for the university. Thanks to the warm and wet Miami climate, tropical plants grow with vigor. But when incoming freshmen arrived on campus this fall, that same humid climate was shown in a slightly different light: a potential breeding ground for virus-transmitting mosquitoes.
“I’m coming from up north, so I’m not really in this area, so it was a little scary coming back, just to be right in the center of it,” said sophomore Julia Cianci. This year, orientation sessions for undergraduate, graduate and international students were all marked by the current South Florida buzzword: Zika. Presentations on the Zika virus were just one component of an education campaign launched by UM this fall. Among the instructions given to students were to drain or cover
standing water, wear long sleeves and pants, and make good use of mosquito repellent. According to Matthew Shpiner, director of the Office of Emergency Management on the Coral Gables campus, the university purchased mosquito repellent spray and wipes to disperse to all on-campus residents. Many of these kits were given out during Orientation programming. Graduate student Tanjim Hossain has studied insect ecology since he was an undergraduate,
and recently conducted research on how microclimates impact mosquito populations. Hossain said Aedes aegypti – the main vector species for Zika and similar diseases – is an aggressive invasive species and preventative measures and recommendations should be taken seriously. “This mosquito will follow you inside a house,” Hossain said.
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