As School Year Begins, Universities and Colleges Launch Joint Campaign to Stay Proactive on Zika Preparedness
August 23, 2016
State University System of Florida
Brittany Davis Wise
850-245-9724
Brittany.Davis@flbog.edu
DOE Press Office
850-245-0413
DOEPressOffice@fldoe.org
As School Year Begins, Universities and Colleges Launch Joint Campaign to Stay Proactive on Zika Preparedness
As Florida works to curb the impact of the Zika virus, the state’s public universities and colleges are doing their part to get information to students, serve as a resource to the community, and stay on the cutting-edge of research.
Today, the State University System and the Florida College System announced the recent launch of a joint public awareness campaign called, “Zika Aware: Spill it, Spray it,” in support of the Department of Health’s Spill the Water campaign designed to remind people to exercise precautions and empty standing water that can serve as a breeding ground for mosquitos. The universities, colleges and Department of Health launched the campaign in response to a recent initiative from Governor Rick Scott that Florida’s leaders in the State University System, the Florida College System and K-12 work with the state Department of Health to proactively communicate with students on Zika virus prevention and ensure that educational institutions have a plan to promptly address suspected Zika cases. Last week, Governor Scott held conference calls with the State University System and the Florida College System presidents to brief them on the latest developments and make sure they have the best information on how to keep students safe.
Governor Rick Scott said, “With the upcoming school year, it is crucial that our state education leaders continue to work closely with the Department of Health in order to protect our campuses, students and faculty members from the Zika virus. I applaud the State University System and Florida College System for their quick action in launching this campaign to ensure Florida’s universities and colleges have the resources and guidance they need. We will continue to keep an open line of communication with education leaders across the state as we do all we can to fight Zika and keep our families safe.”
In addition to the Zika Aware: Spill it, Spray it campaign, universities and colleges are engaging directly with students via their email list-serves, as well as placing information prominently on their websites and creating separate websites to serve as a community resource. Across the state, universities and colleges are taking the discussion further, holding safety and wellness fairs as well as town halls and community forums. The University of Florida, for example, has created a taskforce to track the latest updates and clinical research on Zika and has published an interactive prediction model for how Zika may spread in the Americas. On Friday, the University of South Florida held a congressional conference, bringing together a wide range of public health, medical and mosquito researchers with congressional and local officials to discuss the virus’ looming threat and brainstorm the path forward.
Universities are also accelerating research on the virus, with Florida State University, in partnership with Johns Hopkins University, making a major discovery in March about the connection between microcephaly and the birth defects the virus causes in infants, a breakthrough that is helping to guide prevention and treatment efforts. At Florida Gulf Coast University, researchers are assisting Miami-Dade’s containment efforts by testing mosquitoes for Zika. As another example, University of North Florida is working with Naval Air Station in Jacksonville and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to test an environmentally friendly mosquito killing larvicide. The university is on the cusp of signing a license with a startup company to commercialize it. Meanwhile, Florida International University is working toward prevention, using genetically modified mosquitoes to influence their behavior and isolate what parts of a mosquito’s genetic makeup causes them to bite humans — an effort that could lead to the development better repellants.
“Governor Rick Scott issued a call to action, and we’re doing everything possible to meet that challenge,” said Marshall Criser III, State University System Chancellor. “Florida’s educational institutions are poised to be a leader in the conversation about Zika, and we’re taking that responsibility seriously.”
The Florida Department of Education, which includes the Florida College System, has partnered with the Florida Department of Health to distribute posters, palm cards, door hangers and other education materials that can be displayed throughout campuses. Mosquito repellent is also available on college campuses in Miami-Dade, Broward, Martin, Monroe and Palm Beach counties.
“Florida College System campuses are comprised primarily of adult students, professors, staff members and administrators, many of whom could be pregnant now or in the near future,” said Pam Stewart, Commissioner of Education. “There is nothing more important than the safety of those on our campuses, and we are proud to partner with Florida’s universities to raise awareness about Zika and provide resources to combat this emerging health threat.”
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