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'Prevention is better than cure': Local homeowners association warns residents of Zika threat

Posted at 12:43 AM, Aug 09, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-09 04:12:43-04

The news of Palm Beach County’s first non travel related case of Zika is putting many on alert.

Folks in one neighborhood in Palm Beach Gardens taking every measure they can - just in case.

RELATED: More Zika coverage

Phyllis Egbert is not taking any chances, emptying containers with standing water around her home.

“You tend to think ‘Oh, this is localized over here, oh, this is not coming over here,” she says. “But in reality, how do you know where it’s at?”

Her sense of caution is one shared by her neighborhood association.

Her homeowners association sent out an email to residents on Monday, advising them to check yards and gardens for standing water.

Experts say mosquitos breed in stagnant, standing water - and all they need is a teaspoon full. 

That means planters, palm fronds, and even bottle caps can be vulnerable.

Morton and Susan Ansky, who live down the street from Phyllis, are also heeding the call. 

They are taking precautions in and out of their home.

“I am concerned,” Morton says. “When I’m walking around the neighborhood at night, I’ll wear long pants and a longer shirt.”

He and his neighborhood are on watch, as the Zika threat gets closer to home.