Maine will receive a small share in the $25 million in Centers for Disease Control funding to combat the Zika virus.
Maine State Epidemiologist Siiri Bennett says while the mosquitoes that transmit the virus are not found in Maine, the state will get $176,000 for laboratory support.
“We do have a lot of Mainers who do travel down to areas where there is active transmission, that do have the mosquitoes that carry Zika virus, and when they come back they may have symptoms or want to be tested,” she says. “So these supplies are to help us do that testing.”
Higher-risk states such as Florida received much larger grants. According to CDC the funds can also be used for prevention measures, such as nets, screens and repellent.
While Mainers won’t likely encounter Zika in the state, Bennett says it’s still crucial to avoid being bitten; she says other diseases such as Eastern equine encephalitis and West Nile virus are still very much a concern in Maine.
