The Zika Awareness Program at the University of Montana - ZAP UM

Massive technological advances have made it easier than ever to connect with opportunities abroad and study in countries outside of the United States. An increase in students studying abroad has obliged institutions to provide increasing preparation and protection for those leaving the country. In several regions, vector-borne diseases are of chief concern. The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne disease that had a particularly devastating impact during the summer of 2016. Implications of a Zika infection can include: flu-like symptoms, joint and muscle aches, rashes, and, more seriously, a birth defect called microcephaly and an autoimmune disorder known as Guillain-Barre Syndrome. The Zika Awareness Program at University of Montana (ZAP-UM) is assisting UM students who are traveling abroad to regions where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has implemented a Zika-related travel warning. Fifty students from the University of Montana traveled to these countries during the 2015-2016 academic year, all of which were in Latin America. Consequently, ZAP-UM will focus on this part of the world. ZAP-UM will prevent contraction of Zika for students traveling in these countries, which will subsequently protect the rest of the community once the students return to the U.S. We will start this cycle of protection and education through the distribution of “ZapPaks” and helpful brochures. The most effective way to prevent the spread of disease is through education, so informational brochures will be provided to students in the ZapPaks. These brochures will describe the harms of Zika as well as practical prevention strategies that can be carried out with the use of ZapPak supplies. Along with the informational brochure, each ZapPak will contain a bed net, bug spray for both clothes and skin, water treatment tablets, and condoms. ZAP-UM will distribute these packs in collaboration with Curry Health Center during the 2017-2018 academic year