BROWNSVILLE - Cameron County is educating Rio Grande Valley doctors about the state’s newest protocols to fight the Zika virus.

Cameron County health officials held a meeting Monday night to answer many of their concerns about the virus and testing.  

Dr. Rose Gowen, director of women services at Su Clinica, said they have been receiving many phone calls from patients, nursing staff and fellow providers asking about the Zika virus.

The CDC’s new guidelines, announced last week, recommends all pregnant women who live in or traveled to Brownsville, on or after Oct. 29, be tested for Zika.

“Zika is an evolving toping. We don’t know everything that we need to know about it because it’s happening in real time,” Dr. Gowen said.

Cameron County Health Administrator Esmeralda Guajardo said they’ve heard similar stories from other doctors across the Valley since the guidelines were released.

“They also had questions about the testing. Where it can be done, the Medicaid process and the billing,” she said. “They have the option to go through private labs. But if they want to go through the state, they can also do that. And that’s why we’re here to facilitate that testing.”

Guajardo said one of the issues was that many doctors became completely booked after the guidelines were announced.

“We’re explaining to them that we are opening up appointments this week, just for those women who cannot be seen with their doctors,” said.

The Cameron County Health Department will be testing pregnant women at their clinic all week from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. They urge people to talk to their personal doctors first as they know their medical history.

Link: Cameron County Health Department