Los Angeles health officials set up plan of attack against Zika virus

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials outlined a plan of attack against the Zika virus, a disease which has become a global concern.

The list of countries where the virus is present continues to grow, and officials issued travel alerts for Jamaica and Tonga.

Now, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, also known as the yellow fever mosquito, is present in the San Gabriel Valley and eastern Los Angeles County.

Officials said the war against the disease begins with planters, flower pots, buckets and garbage cans. Anything that may contain standing water.

The big concern is for pregnant women because of the virus' strong association to serious birth defects.

MORE: What you need to know about the Zika virus

Another strategy involved making sure people who travel to Zika-infected areas don't get bit by one of the mosquitoes once they come home.

Travelers with fever, rash, joint pain and pink eye will want to protect against bites for one to two weeks after returning. They may also want to take other precautions. Texas health officials in Dallas have confirmed one case of the virus being sexually transmitted.

While public health experts said it's very unlikely the Zika virus will establish itself in Los Angeles County, they want everyone to do what they can to reduce the mosquito population.