Mosquito control practices and Zika knowledge among outdoor construction workers in Miami-Dade County, Florida

Details

• Personal Author:
  Brennan V ; Caban-Martinez, Alberto J. ; Moore KJ ; Qualls W ; Yang X
• Description:
  Mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika virus pose a health and safety risk to outdoor workers such as those employed in the construction industry. Mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever,malaria, and chikungunya fever have been previously associated with construction worker populations. Rapidly emerging as an epidemic over the past year, Zika virus has been associated with significant birth defects such as microcephaly as well as adult complication such as Guillain-Barre syndrome. While the majority of Zika transmission occurs via mosquitoes, Zika virus has the potential to spread via sexual transmission, blood transfusions, and non-sexual transmission. With the recent outbreaks of Zika virus across South America, the Caribbean, and South Florida, USA, there is a growing need to assess the occupational exposure of Zika virus and other mosquito-borne diseases particularly among worker populations who spend a disproportionate amount of their job working outdoors. Zika virus is transmitted by Aedes species mosquitoes that exhibit increased biting activity during the day when outdoor construction workers are most vulnerable. In April 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued guidelines for construction worker protection from Zika virus. The aim of this rapid pilot study was to assess the attitudes and concerns of construction worker employees in Miami- Dade County, Florida on mosquito-borne diseases with a specific focus on Zika virus. We also examine construction company mosquito control policies and preventive measures. Characterization of the attitudes and concerns of construction industry employees help to identify gaps in awareness and opportunities to develop prevention strategies appropriate for outdoor construction workers. (See Letter to the Editor at Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2017 Jun, 59(6):e137, http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000001039.) [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Construction Industry Insecta Occupational Health Safety Viral Diseases
• Keywords:
  Construction Workers Disease Prevention Disease Vectors Insect Repellents Insects Outdoor Workers Viral Diseases
• ISSN:
  1076-2752
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Florida ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  59
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20049439
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Med 2017 Mar; 59(3):e17-e19
• Contact Point Address:
  Alberto J. Caban-Martinez, DO, PhD, MPH, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, 1120 N.W. 14th Street, 10th Floor, Don Soffer Clinical Research Center, Rm 1025, Miami, FL 33136
• Email:
  acaban@med.miami.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2017
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• Performing Organization:
  University of Miami School of Medicine
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20130901
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• End Date:
  20161031
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:26453c580eb74db62f4b93380e4913f207aa7b73a9255a4210db0f370416af7e2a27a60a6c2d5a0db77a57ea876cd918d33e61b58b769b244c4bc1551a51ecee
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/203884/cdc_203884_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 145.42 KB ]