This e-mail is being sent as part of a temporary series of messages to deliver Zika-related information during peak mosquito season in Indian Country. 
July 7, 2017
In This Issue
Zika Myth of the Week
Myth: My pet could give my family Zika virus.

This is a myth and is not correct!

Truth: Zika is transmitted from mosquitos and humans. At this time, t here is no reason to believe that other animals  play a role in Zika transmission. 

You can learn more about Zika virus in animals HERE

You can learn more about ways of Zika can be transmitted and how to stay safe HERE or HERE
 
 
Zika 101
Zika Virus is a serious threat to Tribal communities. The above map shows federal Tribal lands (pink) and the range of  Aedes aegypti  mosquitoes (blue).  A. aegypti  is the type of mosquito that is most likely to carry the Zika virus. 

NIHB is committed to ensuring the health of Tribal communities. Preventing Zika is a community effort and it is important for everyone to be aware. 

Have questions about Zika? Learn more about Zika 101 from the CDC  HERE


NIHB Resources
Learn more about Tribal Zika Response and Planning at the NIHB Zika Hub

NIHB main website can be accessed HERE

Have questions? Need assistance? Click here to email NIHB staff 


Prevention
Zikahowcatch 
Protecting Yourself and Your Family from Zika Virus
If you want to prevent Zika, it is important to understand how Zika is spread. Most people get Zika after being bitten by an infected mosquito. A mosquito can become infected if it bites a person who is infected with Zika. It is also possible to get Zika through sexual activity, during a pregnancy, or potentially through blood transfusion. 


Image courtesy of the CDC

Learn more about Zika transmission and how to protect yourself HERE


Talking to Your Children about Zika Virus
Children may have heard about Zika and may have questions or concerns. You can help your children by sharing accurate information with them and teaching them how to stay safe.  Preventing Zika is a community effort. 

Here are some tips for talking with your children: 
  • Start the conversation by asking your children what they know. This will allow you to screen for any possible fear or misinformation. 
  • Explain what you know about Zika using simple facts in direct terms. Use appropriate language and concepts for your children's ages, abilities, and situation.
  • Correct misinformation in a clear and compassionate way. 
  • Teach your children what they can do to prevent Zika. For example, it may be helpful for children to understand why they should stay inside or use insect repellent. It is also helpful for older children to understand how to correctly use repellent. An adult should apply repellent for younger children. 
Image courtesy of the CDC


Other helpful information about talking to children about Zika is available on a fact sheet  HERE
Zika News
Watch Out! What You Heard About Zika Online Could be False
Research last summer found that around four (4) out of five (5) Zika-related posts on Facebook contains correct information. However, the posts with incorrect information are much more popular. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of misinformation about Zika and other health concerns. It can be easy to see a post online and simply believe it without checking facts or sources, but it is always important to think about your source before believing the information or sharing the post. Anyone can make a post online, including people who are afraid or who do not have correct and reliable information. 

A Reuters article published by NBC last fall discusses the topic HERE

You can access reliable information about Zika from the CDC  HERE or follow them on Facebook  HERE


Funding Opportunity
The National Indian Health Board Presents Tribal Zika Response and Planning Mini Awards: Announcement of Upcoming Request for Applications
FundingOpportunity
The National Indian Health Board (NIHB), with support from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is pleased to announce a call for applications for a Tribal Zika Response and Planning award. Designed to enhance the capacity of Tribes, this funding will provide awards up to $5,000 to ten (10) Tribes to support efforts to prepare for the possibility of Zika transmission in Tribal communities. Applicants will select one or two (1-2) activities from the list of high impact activities which includes capacity building on topics such as: Zika preparedness planning, vector control, risk communication, partnership building, and stakeholder engagement.

Zika concerns multiple stakeholders within Tribal systems - along with other public health allies from state and local health departments - including emergency management, environmental health, and public health, as well as arenas within healthcare systems such as maternal child health, behavioral health, community health, and primary providers. 

Considering the unique ways that the Zika virus is transmitted, NIHB encourages all tribes to remain vigilant in their Zika preparedness efforts, regardless of geographic proximity to vector range and local transmission. Travel-associated cases bring another avenue for possible local transmission through human to human through blood transfer and sexual transmission, human to baby in utero, and human to mosquito through the bite of a Zika infected person.

 
The completed application is due by 11:59 PM EDT on Wednesday July 19th, 2017. The project period will run from approximately July 21st, 2017 through February 28th, 2018. 

Interested Tribes should also plan to attend an informational webinar on Tuesday, July 11 from 4-5 pm EDT.  Register for the webinar  HERE


 Webinars, Trainings, Events
In the Footsteps of Zika... Approaching the Unknown (Free Online Course through Coursera)
Monday, July 10 (class begins); registration ends July 15
 
Coursera provides worldwide, online access to education from global universities and organizations in various subjects. Coursera will be hosting an eight week Zika course beginning July 10 and continuing through September. Schedules are flexible and additional time to complete the course is permitted.

All course materials can be accessed for free, or participants can pay $49 to earn grades and a formal certificate. However, it is not necessary to pay in order to learn. Alternately, participants who cannot afford the fee can also complete a brief, online financial aid form to request a fee waiver.

The Coursera website states: "The central idea of this course is to bring together participants around the world having a strong interest in Zika. We welcome persons from multiple fields and different backgrounds, including researchers, professors and students in related academic fields, health care professionals, policy makers and stakeholders working with Zika related issues, and also anyone who is looking forward to knowing more about this outbreak without borders."

All materials can be accessed when enrolling in the course. Each week contains a variety of activities such as videos, discussions, and readings. This course may contain more in-depth, scientific, and global information than some other Zika resources.

Week 1: Introducing Zika virus, its vectors and its hosts
Week 2: Following the tracks of Zika virus
Week 3: Prevention and control
Week 4: Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
Week 5: Zika and neurological adverse effects
Week 6: Inequity in front of Zika exposure and outcomes
Week 7: How to deal with Zika: WHO and international health organizations' perspectives
Week 8: The Zika phenomenon through media and economic & political challenges

Learn more, enroll, or read ratings and reviews HERE


Tribal Zika Response and Planning Request For Applications Informational Webinar
Tuesday, July 11 from 4-5pm (Eastern Daylight Time)

This NIHB webinar is hosted for Tribes interested in learning more about the funding opportunity described in the Funding Opportunity section of the newsletter HERE.


Preventing the Zika Virus: Understanding and Controlling the Aedes Mosquito
(Free Online Course through FutureLearn)
Monday, July 17 (class begins)

FutureLearn is a website that provides free, online courses to all people by partnering with international universities and institutions.

FutureLearn will be hosting a Zika prevention course which addresses the science behind Zika, the Aedes mosquito, vector control, and the global Zika response.

The course is free, and completion is estimated at 4 hours per week for three (3) weeks. The formal class start date is listed as July 17, but the course period begins on registration. Participants have access to course materials for the course duration period and for two (2) additional weeks. Upgrades are available for $54 and the upgrade offers unlimited (ongoing) access to the course, a transcript, and a certificate of achievement. However, payment is not required in order to learn.

This course may contain more in-depth, scientific, and global information than some other Zika resources.

The following subjects will be covered: 
  • Week 1: What do we know about Zika?
    • Introduction, the Zika virus, the uncertainty of Zika, and Zika in context
  • Week 2: What is the Aedes mosquito and where can it be found?
    • Characteristics of the Aedes mosquito, the distribution of Aedes, observing mosquitoes
  • Week 3: What can we do to control the spread of Zika?
    • Controlling mosquitoes, challenges and new ideas, current strategies for preventing Zika, what can new research tell us? & course review
Learn more or register HERE


TRAIN Learning Network, Powered by the Public Health Foundation
Ongoing trainings

Still looking for more training opportunities? The Public Health Foundation (PFH) is a nonprofit organization working in public health quality and performance. PHF powers TRAIN, a national learning network offering thousands of training opportunities  about public health topics. They currently offer twenty-two (22) Zika training courses in forms such as on demand webcast, archived webcast, and self-study web-based training. The course content and intended audience vary by training opportunity. Some courses are sponsored by PHF and some by other agencies. 

Course titles include: 

  • The Zika Virus: What It Is and How to Protect Against It
  • Protecting the Public from Mosquito-borne Illnesses: The Zika Challenge 
  • Zika Toolkit: Expanding Access to Quality Family Planning and Zika-related Care
  • Zika Virus Response and Information Resources
  • Practical Approaches for Zika Preparedness and Response
  • Caring for Children with Congenital Zika Virus: Building Community Support
  • Facts about Zika and How to Mitigate Its Impact
  • Insect Repellents and Pregnancy in the Zika Era
  • Improving Public Health Emergency Programs...
  • Updated Interim Zika Clinical Guidance for
  • Reproductive Recognizing Microcephaly and Other Presentations of Zika Virus
AND SEVERAL OTHERS

View or participate in Zika training opportunities offered through TRAIN  HERE

Learn more about Public Health Foundation  HERE