The Florida Department of Health has identified an area in south Florida where Zika is being spread by mosquitoes. The Aedes species mosquito that transmits Zika is found throughout the Southeast.

Symptoms of the infection are generally mild and include fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). These symptoms generally last from several days to a week. It is uncommon for individuals who are infected with the disease to require hospitalization.

The most significant complication of Zika infection is seen in infants born from infected mothers. Zika infection can cause serious birth defects and possibly death of the unborn fetus. In the US, there is no recommendation at this time for routine screening during pregnancy.

Since currently there is no vaccine or medicine to treat the Zika virus, the best way to prevent Zika is to protect yourself from mosquito bites. Mosquitoes breed in standing water, so even small areas of stagnant water need to be drained. Even an overturned bottle cap filled with rainwater can be a breeding place. In addition to eliminating stagnant water, it is essential that anyone spending time outdoors use an effective mosquito repellant containing ingredients such as DEET or Picaridin Please refer to the CDC website for the most up to date information.

* Top Five Things Everyone Needs to Know About Zika 

* CDC’s Response to Zika: What we Know and What We Don’t Know 

        US News & World Report (7/7, Oliver) reports that “between 2008 and 2012, an average of 38,793 HPV-associated cancers were diagnosed annually, according [to] the report,” which “was based on an analysis of data from the CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries and the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program.” This “number is up from 33,369 cases between 2004 and 2008.”

        On its website, CBS News (7/7, Welch) reports that the data indicated that “whites had higher rates of oral and throat cancers than blacks and Hispanics,” but “rates of cervical cancer were higher among blacks and Hispanics.” The findings were published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 

2. Print is not dead to them.
Today’s college students, much like most professionals, feel comfortable in front of a screen. A majority said they preferred a digital format when reading, studying, taking notes, and doing problem sets. That said, a substantial portion of students said they preferred to do those course-related activities with paper and ink—about 40 percent, depending on the activity.

3. They’re not that into Twitter.
If you’re one of those people who worry that young people are being numbed to complexity by Twitter’s 140-character limit, you can stop worrying now. Only 26 percent of respondents said they used Twitter. Among social-networking sites, that’s miles behind Facebook (90 percent) and Instagram (64 percent).

4. They think libraries and computer labs are swell.
Students are concerned about the cost of going to college. Two-thirds of survey respondents said the cost of college was “excessive,” and nearly that many identified it as one of the biggest problems on the campus. But among the campus buildings and services that contribute to that cost, students believe libraries and computer labs are giving them the most for their buck.

5. They have not ditched scholarly works for Wikipedia.
Professors might not disdain Wikipedia as much as they used to, but some might still worry that students are relying on the free, user-edited encyclopedia. Good news for them: Only 49 percent of respondents said they had used Wikipedia. A smaller group, 28 percent, said they visited the site regularly.

Among the other findings for 2014, from the CDC’s National Tuberculosis Surveillance System:

• The TB rate among foreign-born individuals was 13 times higher than that among U.S.-born people.
• Asians continued to have the highest rate, at 18 per 100,000. Whites had the lowest rate (0.6/100,000).
• Four states accounted for 50% of cases: California, Florida, New York, and Texas.
• Among the 86% with known HIV status, 6% were positive for HIV infection.

The authors emphasize the need to identify and treat all those with latent TB among high-risk groups in the U.S, such as the foreign-born. They add that “priority should be placed on those at highest risk for reactivation,” including those from sub-Saharan Africa or Southeast Asia.

The NBC News (9/1, Stelloh) website reports that the students smoked marijuana more often in 2014 than they did cigarettes, with 5.9% smoking marijuana daily and 5% smoking cigarettes at that rate.

Those in the first group got $1.40 for each day they reached the goal. In the second group, the reward for success was entry into a lottery with a possible payoff of $100. Those in the third were given $42 the first day of every month, deposited in an online account, and had $1.40 automatically deducted each day they failed to achieve 7,000 steps. A control group received only daily feedback about their performance. The study is in Annals of Internal Medicine.

The control group achieved their goal 30 percent of the time, and the lottery and paid-every-day groups performed statistically no better, at 35 percent. But the group paid upfront, risking a loss every day, succeeded 45 percent of the time.