SIGN UP FOR OUR Main Line Health Press Release – Prior to embarking on a humanitarian trip to Costa Rica, Villa Maria Academy High School juniors, seniors and their parents received advice from Main Line Health’s Chief of Infectious Diseases, who helped separate fact from fiction regarding the Zika virus epidemic.
“Traveling to areas affected by the Zika Virus, such as Central America, does pose a risk” said Dr. Mark Ingerman, Main Line Health Chief of Infectious Diseases. “The overall risk for this group is small, particularly if appropriate preventive measures are taken.”
Two Main Line Health physicians and parent chaperones for the trip, Dr. Greg Higbee, Bryn Mawr Hospital Emergency Department, and Dr. Helen Kuroki, Riddle Hospital OB/GYN and Vice President of Medical Affairs, invited Dr. Mark Ingerman to speak about the virus and the potential risks associated with their upcoming trip.
“As a chaperone and a parent of a student going on the trip, I am relieved that Dr. Ingerman came to Villa Maria to dispel myths about the Zika virus,” said Helen Kuroki, MD. “Dr. Ingerman also evaluated the risk for our group and I was comforted by his assessment of our low risk factor.”
Dr. Ingerman encouraged the use of insect repellant on their skin and permethrin insecticide to be applied to their clothing. He also encouraged the students to keep their skin covered, particularly when the mosquitoes are most prevalent, during dusk and dawn. Because the risk of contracting the virus is relatively low for this group, Dr. Ingerman encouraged each family to make their own informed decisions about whether or not to travel.
In Costa Rica, the Ministry of Public Health has reported a handful of autochthonous Zika cases in addition to the well-publicized case of a tourist from the United States who was infected by a mosquito bite in Playa Nosara, province of Guanacaste. As previously reported by The Costa Rica Star, that case received a full writeup in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Approximately 40 parents and students were in attendance at the Zika virus presentation. Pictured from left to right are: (back row) Grace Funchion, Dena Hartel, Kelly McBride, Bryn Mawr Hospital Emergency Medicine physician, Dr. Higbee; Riddle Hospital OB/GYN and Vice President of Medical Affairs, Dr. Kuroki; Sister Regina Ryan, IHM, Principal of Villa Maria Academy High School. (Front row) Grace Kuroki, Jill Bowie, Katie Gosselin, Rachel Bokar. Villa Maria trip leader, service learning coordinator and faculty English teacher, Mrs. Kara Bielli, was also in attendance but not pictured.
About Main Line Health
Founded in 1985, Main Line Health (MLH) is a not-for-profit health system serving portions of Philadelphia and its western suburbs. At its core are four of the region’s respected acute care hospitals—Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital—as well as one of the nation’s premier facilities for rehabilitative medicine, Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital; Mirmont Treatment Center for drug and alcohol recovery; and HomeCare & Hospice, a home health service. Main Line Health also consists of Main Line HealthCare, one of the region’s largest multi-specialty physician networks, and the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, a non-profit biomedical research organization located on the campus of Lankenau Medical Center. Main Line Health is also comprised of four outpatient health centers located in Broomall, Collegeville, Exton and Newtown Square. Main Line Health Hospitals, with more than 10,000 employees and 2,000 physicians, are the recipients of numerous awards for quality care and service, including System Magnet® designation, the nation’s highest distinction for nursing excellence. Main Line Health is among the area’s leaders in medicine, providing advanced patient-centered care, education and research to help our community stay healthy.
