KGUN 9News

Actions

Fight the Bite: 24/7 Hotline for Zika Questions

Posted
and last updated

With 39 cases of Zika in Arizona, six of which are in Pima County, Southern Arizona is getting a 24/7 call center for all your Zika questions.

The new call center opened the week of October 10th, and is sponsored by the Pima County Health Department and the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center.

RELATED CONTENT: Zika virus in mosquitoes found in US

Healthcare providers man the phones all hours of the day to answer any question about mosquito borne viruses like West Nile or Zika. Once you call in, the public can ask about their risk factors based on their age or location within Arizona, they can also ask about the risks for areas they plan to travel and if necessary the hotline can direct them to offices for testing of the disease. The hotline will also accept reports from doctors who believe on of their patients may be carrying the disease.

The call center was approved back in August as a partnership between Pima County and the University of Arizona, which operates the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center. UA will staff and fund the new phone line using nearly $50,000 from their Emergency Preparedness Grant. 

Call 1-877-518-4633 for more information today.

For more information on the Zika virus visit this designated portion of KGUN9 for all of our coverage.