With many locals gone or on their way to spring break locales, some might worry about the Zika virus that’s getting so many headlines. To those and others still home, local experts say “fear not.”

Dr. Michael Collins, Medical Director at the Grand Traverse County Health Department (GTCHD) says, “Since the mosquito that transmits Zika doesn't live in Michigan, those of us not planning a trip to the affected areas have nothing to fear from Zika. But pregnant women or those likely to become pregnant soon should seriously consider vacationing somewhere other than the affected areas as long as the Zika outbreak continues.”

Michael G. Kaufman, from Michigan State University’s Department of Entomology, agrees: “The chance of contracting Zika via local transmission by mosquitoes in Michigan is extremely low to non-existent,” he writes in a Feb. 2016 article.

“Aedes aegypti, the main vector, will not establish here until our climate warms dramatically because it cannot tolerate even mild winter conditions.”

Zika is currently found in Mexico, the Caribbean, Brazil and other parts of Central and South America. The World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued precautionary warnings about Zika to travelers, particularly those pregnant or likely to become pregnant planning to visit affected countries.

Lorraine Beers, a nurse practitioner with Infectious Disease Consultants in Traverse City, says her clinic receives a few calls a day regarding Zika.

“I’ve had people cancel their trips,” she says, but outlines simple ways to protect one’s self. Because mosquitos tend to bite most at dawn, sunset and on cloudy days, a mosquito repellent containing DEET is key. The percentage of DEET contained should be between 20 and 35 percent, and no higher than 50 percent.

For those with an aversion to DEET, Beers advises oil of lemon, eucalyptus or a repellent brand called Picaridin. People “really need to cover exposed skin,” she adds, reinforcing the advice given to women of childbearing age who might be pregnant or considering pregnancy.

The only Michigan Zika case thus far was in a 61-year-old Ingham county woman who recently returned from Barbados. Beers reports that the most prevalent U.S. cases are found in Florida (49) and Puerto Rico (159).

Symptoms of Zika, if they appear at all, include fever and aches similar to the flu and can last a few days to a week; an infected man can spread the virus sexually.

First discovered in the Zika forest of Uganda in 1947, the Zika virus only began spreading widely in May of 2015 when an outbreak occurred in Brazil. The mosquito Aedes aegypti carries the virus, as well as several other diseases. The probable effects of Zika include microcephaly in newborns, which results in an abnormally small head and often a damaged brain. A surge of Brazilian babies were born with the condition in October 2015, leading doctors to suspect Zika.