Garland sprays for Zika after resident contracts virus

The city of Garland is spraying certain neighborhoods for the mosquitoes that carry Zika. It says the areas are prone for those types of flies and want to get ahead.       

The CDC is recommending that cities spray pesticide around homes along an entire city block if someone tests positive for Zika. That's what happened along Palo Duro Drive in Garland.

One reason spraying is necessary is because Zika-carrying mosquitos can breed in water as small as what's in a bottle cap.

All it takes for Zika to enter the Texas mosquito population is one bite of an infected person. And an infected person lives on Palo Duro Drive in Garland.

“There is no difference between this neighborhood and the ones in Miami, where there is local transmission,” said Garland Health Department Director Jason Chessher. “We have the ingredients here.”

Zika can destroy parts of babies' brains when a mother is infected during her pregnancy.

Garland's latest Zika patient got the virus in Central America and tested positive for it in the city on Friday.

It's important to note there have been no cases of mosquitoes transmitting the virus yet in North Texas. But based on the overall numbers, it's only a matter of time.

“People are arriving from the infected areas on a daily basis,” explained Chessher. “We may not know every time an individual comes to our area. Eighty percent of people affected don't even know it."

Deborah Atwood lives on Palo Duro Drive. She says the mosquitoes in the neighborhood are bad.

"I have a child who is immune suppressed,” she said. “They'll come in the house."

Destiny Walker says she is wearing the mosquito repellant the city passed out along her street, where Zika has literally hit too close to home.

"They're horrible over here,” Walker said. “I get bit every time I get in and out of my car."

Before Garland sprayed pesticide along the homes on Palo Duro Drive, they had homeowners sign consent forms.

Health officials say people should start wearing mosquito repellant any time they're outside.