# Zika virus



## myoakley (Jan 21, 2016)

I am curious as to whether the zika virus in Brazil and the Caribbean is causing anyone (especially pregnant women) to change travel plans.  I was thinking that terrorist worries might discourage travelers to Europe and beyond, but would be great for tourism in Latin America and the Caribbean.  Now, however, the dreaded mosquitoes are ready to attack with this new and dangerous (to babies in the womb) virus.


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## x3 skier (Jan 21, 2016)

A disease like this that is widespread in an area is one of the only reasons that I would change plans. Since the chance of getting infected by a mosquito bite is higher than some random terror attack, I would avoid Brazil and any other place that has a similar threat of disease. 

That said, I have no plans to visit Brazil so I have no clue if the disease is limited in the area affected or if the whole country including major cities has a motor infestation.

Cheers


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## moonstone (Jan 21, 2016)

We are in northern Belize for the winter and the Zika virus is mentioned constantly in the news down here. I am way past any risk of pregnancy so not too concerned. I feel sorry for the younger women. Hopefully a vaccine against it will be developed soon.

We take precautions against getting mosquito bites due to Dengue Fever and Chickamauga by using spray when we are out at dusk since we think they would affect us more.

~Diane


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## pedro47 (Jan 21, 2016)

moonstone said:


> We are in northern Belize for the winter and the Zika virus is mentioned constantly in the news down here. I am way past any risk of pregnancy so not too concerned. I feel sorry for the younger women. Hopefully a vaccine against it will be developed soon.
> 
> We take precautions against getting mosquito bites due to Dengue Fever and Chickamauga by using spray when we are out at dusk since we think they would affect us more.
> 
> ~Diane



This is primary a problem for pregnant females as stated; does it have any effect on others (males, children and non pregnant females) ?


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## loosefeet (Jan 21, 2016)

Mexico is also an area of concern now for pregnant women.  That will be big for the U.S.


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## Dollie (Jan 21, 2016)

*Travel Clinic*

Most major/university hospitals have a travel clinic.  They would have all the latest information on threats in different areas and what preventive measures should be taken.  I would contact them.  We've used them for trips to Africa, Bhutan and Thailand, and South America.   Another advantage is they usually have the exotic pills and shots you need that your local pharmacist doesn't carry.


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## dioxide45 (Jan 21, 2016)

Realize that the summer Olympics will be in Brazil later this year.


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## MULTIZ321 (Jan 22, 2016)

How to Keep Away Mosquitoes Carrying Zika, Dengue - by Carina Storrs/ Special to CNN/ Health/ cnn.com

 "(CNN)When Zika virus made headlines because of its link with the neurological disorder microcephaly, it became the latest in a growing list of mosquito-borne viruses for Americans to worry about.

"Dengue, chikungunya and Zika are the ones that I'm very fearful of for the Gulf Coast states [such as Florida and Texas], and Zika is the most terrifying of all because of the horrific birth defects," said Dr. Peter Jay Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine..."

Richard


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## Tia (Jan 22, 2016)

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6502e1.htm if interested


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## moonstone (Jan 22, 2016)

El Salvador is now telling young women to not get pregnant until at least 2018!  http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world...to-avoid-birth-defects/ar-BBoyEVq?ocid=AARDHP

I guess they figure they'll have a vaccine or some other way to control the Zika virus by then.


~Diane


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## lizap (Jan 22, 2016)

I suspect it will make it here soon, given that it's in the Carribean.


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## dioxide45 (Jan 22, 2016)

lizap said:


> I suspect it will make it here soon, given that it's in the Carribean.



Maybe, maybe not. This virus is carried by the same mosquito that carries chikungunya. There were some cases confirmed in Florida where people who hadn't traveled to the Caribbean contracted chikungunya, but it certainly isn't/wasn't side spread. It would seem that this mosquito isn't widespread in the United States, cooler temperatures and freezes in the north may keep it somewhat under control in the US.


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## Luanne (Jan 22, 2016)

We're leaving on a cruise of the Western Caribbean next week.  Just got a notice from the cruise line about the Zika virus.  Basically it was to use caution and be prepared.


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## disneymom1 (Jan 22, 2016)

LOTS of phone calls this week at the office from pregnant patients planning to travel to these affected areas!  Baby moons are becoming quite popular nowadays!  We are advising them NOT TO GO!!  The only testing available in our state (NJ) is thru the Dept. of Health/CDC.


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## isisdave (Jan 22, 2016)

Until just now, I thought a baby moon was a hubcap, so I asked my friend Google to enlighten me.  Who knew?


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## PigsDad (Jan 22, 2016)

I had never heard the term "baby moon" before either.  Is it an East Coast thing?

Kurt


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## Luanne (Jan 22, 2016)

PigsDad said:


> I had never heard the term "baby moon" before either.  Is it an East Coast thing?
> 
> Kurt



Nope.  I have a friend who was married in California, now living in Reno, who had a baby moon.  I think it's a generational thing.


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## puppymommo (Jan 23, 2016)

Luanne said:


> Nope.  I have a friend who was married in California, now living in Reno, who had a baby moon.  I think it's a generational thing.



At first glance I read this as GESTATIONAL thing.


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## VegasBella (Jan 23, 2016)

If I were pregnant i would probably avoid travel to any area with mosquitoes, but...
microcephaly is purely a small head. There are tons of causes. They don't know if this disease is really causing it or maybe it's a drug reaction or something else entirely. Microcephaly is more common in babies of mothers who smoke or otherwise have diminished lung capacity, babies whose mothers experienced malnutrition, etc. Poverty is associated with microcephaly and is also associated with an increased risk of virtually any illness.

If you're really careful about using mosquito repellent then you're probably just fine.


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## n777lt (Jan 24, 2016)

VegasBella said:


> If I were pregnant i would probably avoid travel to any area with mosquitoes, but...
> microcephaly is purely a small head. There are tons of causes. They don't know if this disease is really causing it or maybe it's a drug reaction or something else entirely. Microcephaly is more common in babies of mothers who smoke or otherwise have diminished lung capacity, babies whose mothers experienced malnutrition, etc. Poverty is associated with microcephaly and is also associated with an increased risk of virtually any illness.
> 
> If you're really careful about using mosquito repellent then you're probably just fine.



If I were pregnant or thinking of becoming so, I wouldn't be that sanguine - the epidemiological evidence being reported from the cited countries shows a very strong coincidence of Zika virus infections and increased births of microencephalic babies, regardless of what the mechanism is (and there's NO reported connection between drug reactions and the increases in the countries in question overall, though yes an individual case might be drug-related). Similarly, there haven't been recent sharp changes in poverty rates, but there have been sharp increases in cases of microencephaly.  they may not know WHY there is the connection, but the connection is there. If you don't NEED to travel to those countries, and you are pregnant or might be, then I'd say those odds are a bit too high to rely on bug repellent, even 100% DEET (which is contraindicated during pregnancy anyway).  

Yes, there are lies, damn lies and statistics, but in this case, statistics are your friend.


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## VegasBella (Jan 24, 2016)

n777lt said:


> If I were pregnant or thinking of becoming so, I wouldn't be that sanguine


Did you not read the first line of my post where I said "If I were pregnant i would probably avoid travel to any area with mosquitoes"
?


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## MULTIZ321 (Jan 24, 2016)

The Zika Virus Takes a Frightening Turn -  and Raises Many Questions  - by Jason Beaubien/ Goats and Soda: Stories of Life in a Changing World/ National Public Radio/ npr.org

"Something new — and quite frightening — appears to be happening with the Zika virus.

For decades Zika was a virus that turned up in monkeys and occasionally in humans in Africa and Southeast Asia. Its symptoms were mild and the number of confirmed human cases was low.

The first big outbreak was on the island of Yap in Micronesia. Three quarters of the island's population were infected — about 5,000 people. But few of them reported any symptoms.

Things began to change last year. The virus, which is spread by mosquitoes, turned up in Brazil. There have been at least half a million cases there and the virus has appeared in many other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Why is this virus spreading so rapidly?

"We do still know so little about this virus and the harm that it can cause," says Albert Ko, an epidemiologist from Yale who has been working with the Brazilian Ministry of Health to investigate the Zika outbreak. "This is really a relatively new pathogen." Indeed, the virus was first identified in 1947 in a rhesus monkey in Uganda's Zika forest (which gave the disease its name)..."





A researcher holds a container with female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. This species transmits the Zika virus.
Andre Penner/AP 



Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Jan 24, 2016)

C.D.C. Issues Travel Alert for 8 More Locations Over Zika Virus - by Catherine Saint Louis/ Health/ International New York Times/ The New York Times/ nytimes.com

"Federal health officials on Friday added eight destinations to the list of those to which pregnant women should not travel in order to avoid infection with the Zika virus, which has been linked to brain damage in newborns.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added Barbados, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guadeloupe, St. Martin and Guyana, as well as Samoa, in the South Pacific, and Cape Verde, off the coast of Africa..."


Richard


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## AnnaS (Jan 27, 2016)

It's in NY now.  We are cruising in May and the US Virgin Islands have been added to the list.

Not pregnant or planning on getting pregnant.  Will bring bug spray.  I am glad my two dil's are not cruising with us since I know they plan on getting pregnant and one has been working on it.  There is another young couple - not sure if they are coming now   (We are a big group).


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## myoakley (Jan 28, 2016)

The reports on the spread of this virus are becoming more panicked.  Airlines are now refunding tickets to women who want to cancel reservations to affected areas.  It has occurred to be that a virus that is so devastating to a fetus could possibly prove more damaging to children and to adults than presently thought.   I ask again: has anyone changed plans or canceled travel to Mexico, So. America or the Caribbean because of it?


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## SMHarman (Jan 28, 2016)

myoakley said:


> The reports on the spread of this virus are becoming more panicked.  Airlines are now refunding tickets to women who want to cancel reservations to affected areas.  It has occurred to be that a virus that is so devastating to a fetus could possibly prove more damaging to children and to adults than presently thought.   I ask again: has anyone changed plans or canceled travel to Mexico, So. America or the Caribbean because of it?


It's a topic of conversation here daily. Off to St John on Saturday.


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## MULTIZ321 (Jan 28, 2016)

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSL2N15C1PJJet Blue Joins String of Airlines Refunding Travel to Zika-Hit Areas - from Reuters.



Jan 28 (Reuters) -" JetBlue Airways Corp will refund customers with tickets to areas impacted by the Zika virus or let them rebook flights, a spokesman said on Thursday.

New York-based JetBlue, a top player in Caribbean travel, is the latest in a string of airlines - from United Continental Holdings Inc to Latam Airlines Group SA - to refund vacationers planning to travel to regions impacted by the mosquito-borne virus."


Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Jan 28, 2016)

Factbox: Facts About the Zika Virus and the Current Outbreak.

http://news.yahoo.com/factbox-facts-zika-virus-current-outbreak-204444654.html



Reposted the URL

Richard


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## deemarket (Jan 28, 2016)

*Aruba trip*

We bought our airline tickets and secured 2 exchanges for a two week trip to Aruba in May. Aruba right now is not listed as having the zika virus but the way it is spreading it could be there by the time we travel.  I have a compromised immune system and will be checking with my doctor to see what he recommends.

So yes I may change my travel plans.


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## SMHarman (Jan 28, 2016)

MULTIZ321 said:


> Factbox: Facts About the Zika Virus and the Current Outbreak.
> 
> http://news.yahoo.com/factbox-facts-zika-virus-current-outbreak-204444654.html
> 
> ...


While nobody in our group is pregnant or planning to get pregnant in the next ~20 years the Guillain Barre syndrome secondary risk is a concern. 

We have a crib mosquito net for the little one. 

Not sure how WSJ feels about screwing eye hooks into the ceiling for the other beds. 

Anyway these are morning / evening mosquitos and the rain this week won't help us. Apparently they come out in strength after the rain.

Edit - updated thought. 

Though with one case and the fact this is not transferred between mosquitoes but the mosquito transfers it human to human I am less concerned.  

Lots of mozzie repellent purchased.


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## MULTIZ321 (Jan 30, 2016)

All the Places the Untreatable Zika Virus Has Spread to So Far - by Lydia Ramsey and Dylan Roach/ Science/ Business Insider/ businessinsider.com

"The Zika virus is quickly expanding its reach, particularly in the Americas. So far its spread has drawn concern from the World Health Organization, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and US President Barack Obama.

The virus, transmitted via mosquitoes, has been identified in the US but only in people who've recently traveled to Zika hot spots. Once infected with Zika, only about 20% of people ever show symptoms, which most commonly include fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes. There is no vaccine or treatment available for the virus. One reason Zika is troubling is because it has been linked with birth defects. After some mothers showed symptoms of the virus during their pregnancy, their babies were born with abnormally small brains, a condition known as microcephaly.

Here are the 24 countries and territories where the virus had been transmitted locally as of Wednesday:..."

Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Jan 30, 2016)

Zika-Linked Brain Damage in Infants May Be 'Tip of the Iceberg' - by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro/ Goats and Soda:Stories of Life in a Changing World/ National Public Radio (NPR)/ npr.org

"Dr. João Ricardo de Almeida is part of a team in Brazil that's investigating the cases of microcephaly — brain damage in infants born to mothers who contracted Zika virus during their pregnancy. He's examined dozens of brain scans, and he says that the scans are "very scary to look at."

"You see very profound abnormalities," says the neuro-radiologist. "Usually it's striking."

And they're notably different than scans of other babies born with the birth defect..."


Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Jan 30, 2016)

New Weapon to Fight Zika: The Mosquito - by Andrew Polllack/ Business Day/ International New York Times/ The New York Times/ nytimes.com

"Every weekday at 7 a.m., a van drives slowly through the southeastern Brazilian city of Piracicaba carrying a precious cargo — mosquitoes. More than 100,000 of them are dumped from plastic containers out the van’s window, and they fly off to find mates.

But these are not ordinary mosquitoes. They have been genetically engineered to pass a lethal gene to their offspring, which die before they can reach adulthood. In small tests, this approach has lowered mosquito populations by 80 percent or more.

The biotech bugs could become one of the newest weapons in the perennial battle between humans and mosquitoes, which kill hundreds of thousands of people a year by transmitting malaria, dengue fever and other devastating diseases and have been called the deadliest animal in the world.

“When it comes to killing humans, no other animal even comes close,” Bill Gates, whose foundation fights disease globally, has written..."





 Separating male and female mosquito larvae at Oxitec, a biotech company that is releasing genetically modified male mosquitoes into Piracicaba, Brazil, to fight diseases like dengue and Zika. Credit Cristiano Burmester for The New York Times 


Richard


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## SMHarman (Jan 30, 2016)

MULTIZ321 said:


> New Weapon to Fight Zika: The Mosquito - by Andrew Polllack/ Business Day/ International New York Times/ The New York Times/ nytimes.com
> 
> "Every weekday at 7 a.m., a van drives slowly through the southeastern Brazilian city of Piracicaba carrying a precious cargo — mosquitoes. More than 100,000 of them are dumped from plastic containers out the van’s window, and they fly off to find mates.
> 
> ...


The release of these mosquitoes is at the epicenter of the zika outbreak.  That may not be a coincidence. Up to 15% do not die as planned. The Roy Batty's of mosquitoes (waits to see who gets the reference)


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## Chilcotin (Jan 31, 2016)

*Information from three doctors on Zika Virus*

The CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) National News had a panel of three doctors discuss the Zika Virus on Friday's broadcast.  It runs about ten minutes and has factual information.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/thenational/zika-virus-how-concerned-should-you-be-1.3426784


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## MULTIZ321 (Jan 31, 2016)

How Scared Should You Be About Zika? - by Michael T. Osterholm/ Sunday Review/ Opinion/ International New York Times/ The New York Times/ nytimes.com

"Every time there is a major infectious disease outbreak that scares us — Ebola in West Africa in 2014, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) on the Arabian Peninsula in 2012 and in South Korea in 2015, and now the Zika virus in South and Central America and the Caribbean — government leaders, the public and the news media demand explanations, guidance and predictions, and often express indignation that not enough was done to prevent it. Today everyone is asking about Zika: How did this crisis happen, and what do we need to do to make it go away? We immediately forget about the outbreak that came before it, and don’t plan for the ones we know are on the horizon. Almost no one wants to talk about Ebola or MERS now, or what we have or haven’t done to try to prevent an ugly recurrence.

When it comes to diseases, we have a very short attention span, and we tend to be reactive, rather than proactive. Instead of devoting ourselves to a comprehensive plan to combat microbial threats, we scramble to respond to the latest one in the headlines. There are lessons from previous infectious disease outbreaks that could and should have left us much better prepared than we are..."





Roman Muradov 



Richard


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## MuranoJo (Feb 1, 2016)

Ironically, the increased use of pesticides is killing off birds who feed on mosquitoes. With every passing year, our population of hummingbirds dwindles and we've read at least part of that is due to pesticides.

We had a significant mosquito population 10 or so years ago, until a family of barn swallows moved in.  They return every year and practically wipe out the mosquitoes, so I'm looking for ways to increase their habitat around here.


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## MULTIZ321 (Feb 3, 2016)

Zika has been Sexually Transmitted in Texas, CDC Confirms - by Sandee LaMotte/ Health/ CNN/ edition.cnn.com

(CNN)Zika has been sexually transmitted in Texas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday. It is the first known case of the virus being locally acquired in the continental United States in the current outbreak. 

The case, announced by Dallas County health officials, involved a patient who had sex with someone who had recently returned from Venezuela infected with the mosquito-borne virus. 

In a statement to CNN, the CDC said it confirmed the test results showing Zika present in the blood of a "nontraveler in the continental United States." They stressed that there was no risk to a developing fetus in this instance..."


Richard


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## vacationhopeful (Feb 3, 2016)

I have a bat colony living in my well-pit. Plus a Hoot-Owl living in a tree very close to my bedroom windows. Both species are good neighbors .. although the hoot owl is un-nerving to city folk. 

This morning, a flock of 30-40 turkeys were wandering thru my backyard. Plus several deer cross thru my yard regularly enough to not get hit on the road out in front of the house.

At least I have not seem any black bears...or wolves ... yet.


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## MULTIZ321 (Feb 3, 2016)

Race is On to Develop Zika Vaccine But Tests on Pregnant Women Raise Concern - by Oliver Milman/ World/ Zika Virus/ The Guardian/ theguardian.com

The race is under way to develop a vaccine for the Zika virus but the urgency of the situation is being tempered by concerns over testing on pregnant women – a group of people normally shielded from experimental trials.

The World Health Organisation has declared an international public health emergency over concerns – as yet unproven – that the virus causes brain damage and birth defects in children.

The disease has spread to more than 20 countries in South and Central America, with fears that more than 4 million people could be infected by the end of the year. Pregnant women have been urged not to travel to about two dozen countries where the outbreak is growing.

Zika has been linked to the development of unusually small heads, known as microcephaly, and brain damage in babies. Brazil’s president, Dilma Rousseff, has vowed there will be “no lack of funding” to fight the spread of Zika and said that Brazil and the US will partner to develop a vaccine against the virus..."

Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Feb 4, 2016)

How can Viruses Like Zika Cause Birth Defects? -by Maya Wei-Haas/ Science-Nature/ SmithsonianMag.com

"While the link between Zika and microcephaly is uncertain, similar diseases show how the virus might be affecting infants

In adults, the symptoms of the Zika virus are relatively mild—rashes, fever, joint pain, malaise. Most who are infected may not even know it. But as this seemingly routine disease spreads across the Americas, so do cases of a much more severe problem: infants born with microcephaly.

This birth defect comes from malformation of the brain, leaving those inflicted with varying degrees of shrunken heads and in many cases a slew of neurologic problems. These include hearing troubles, developmental delays and intellectual impairment.

Brazil usually sees a couple hundred cases of microcephaly per year—a number that some suggest is unusually low due to underreporting. Diseases from parasites like malaria or toxoplasmosis, genetic mutations and even excessive alcohol consumption during early pregnancy can all cause microcephaly. But since October 2015, well over 3,500 infants have been reported with telltale signs of the deformation, coinciding with the explosive spread of the Zika virus in the region.

The spotty information from this outbreak is not enough to definitively say whether Zika causes microcephaly. But the link is plausible, and medical experts are looking to other viruses known to cause developmental defects to try to figure out Zika’s potential pathway to destruction.

Certain viruses really love the brain,” says Kristina Adams Waldorf, an obstetrics and gynecology doctor who studies how infection induces preterm labor. Cytomegalovirus and rubella have relatively mild impacts on healthy adults but can cause debilitating birth defects. And varicella-zoster virus (which causes chicken pox) can cause a host of complications, including problems in the brain.

Many mosquito-borne viruses, like West Nile, also cause forms of brain injury in adults. “So it’s not a big stretch for us to make the connection between a mosquito-born virus [and] microcephaly,” she says.

Spread mainly by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, Zika was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in rhesus monkeys. Notable outbreaks struck humans on the tiny island of Yap in 2007 and in French Polynesia in 2013. But few people in the Americas had likely heard of Zika until the recent outbreak exploded in Brazil.




Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Feb 4, 2016)

An Innovative Suitcase Lab Used to Fight Ebola Could Help Us Untangle the Zika Epidemic - by Ana Campoy/ Road Test/ Quartz/ qz.com

"The World Health Organization has declared Zika a global health emergency, because it believes the risks are high enough for a global response. And yet, we understand little about the virus and its effects on people. Zika’s links to neurological conditions, such as microcephaly—abnormal brain development in newborns—remain unproven.

A team of Brazilian and African scientists (link in Portuguese) believe rapid and thorough testing for Zika will be key to solving that mystery. Given Brazil’s vast size and limited infrastructure, though, they’re having to deploy an inventive diagnostic tool to achieve that: A suitcase-sized laboratory.

Since the beginning of the year, researchers from the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of São Paulo University and the Pasteur Institute of Dakar, Senegal have been working to adapt mobile-laboratory technology, which was used in Africa to detect Ebola, to analyze Brazil’s Zika epidemic. The whole thing weighs less than 20 kgs (44 pounds) and is operated with a laptop. The components used to test samples, which would have to be kept frozen in a traditional lab setting, are all in powder form, not unlike a boxed cake mix that only requires water.

The mobile lab will start testing patients’ saliva, blood and urine in the northeastern state of Sergipe, where dozens of microcephaly cases (Portuguese) have been reported, in mid-February. The test results will be available within 30 minutes, instead of the many hours or even days that commonly used techniques require..."


Richard


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## SMHarman (Feb 6, 2016)

Even well covered in spray we are all still bitten. 

The stupid design of the Westin Coral bay has no bug screens. More on the stupid design decisions of coral bay in another thread. 

Locals more concerned with Chik


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## lvhmbh (Feb 6, 2016)

We are going to South America (Buenos Aires, Mendoza and then cruise from BA to Rio in a couple of weeks.  We'll take spray - DH gets bitten but I'm usually not although if I do get bitten he cowers inside lol! as that means they're really serious.  I'm not worried but will be vigilant.  We have a tour guide for a day in Rio and will probably stay in the car in the forest.


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## moonstone (Feb 6, 2016)

Pretty scary!  http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...re-than-3100-pregnancies-zika-virus/79929146/

~Diane


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## Luanne (Feb 7, 2016)

We got off the ship in both Mexican ports.  Made sure we used insect repellant.  I saw no mosquitoes.


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## dioxide45 (Feb 12, 2016)

I thought this was interesting. Perhaps Zika isn't responsible for birth defects at all. Perhaps there are other causes.

http://www.naturalnews.com/052863_Zika_virus_Tdap_vaccine_GMO_mosquitoes.html


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## laura1957 (Feb 13, 2016)

A friend and her hubby are in Antigua right now, and my hubby and I are headed to Riviera Maya in 2 weeks - of course, we are well past our child-bearing years...


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## Crif (Feb 17, 2016)

Zika virus is an emerging mosquito-borne virus that was first identified in Uganda. Zika virus disease have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific.

Signs & symptoms
The symptoms are similar to arboviral infections. such as dengue, fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise, and headache.

Crif


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## SMHarman (Feb 17, 2016)

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/1...-of-brazils-microcephaly-outbreak-doctors.htm

A group of Argentine physicians claim that the sudden microcephaly outbreak in Brazil was not caused by the Zika virus, but by a larvicide injected into the country's water supplies.*


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## Pompey Family (Feb 18, 2016)

SMHarman said:


> http://www.techtimes.com/articles/1...-of-brazils-microcephaly-outbreak-doctors.htm
> 
> A group of Argentine physicians claim that the sudden microcephaly outbreak in Brazil was not caused by the Zika virus, but by a larvicide injected into the country's water supplies.*



I read something similar recently too. Colombia has a similar level of confirmed zika infections as Brazil yet has no recorded incidents of birth defects. The one difference being that Colombia doesnt treat their water with Monsanto produced larvicide.

I anticipate intense efforts to suppress this information.


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## DavidnRobin (Feb 18, 2016)

These 'Scientists' have forgotten major points, but importantly -
"Correlation is NOT Causation"

An epidemiologist uses data to show to determine the cause (or lack of) from a correlate. In this situation - these will come to light soon enough regardless of conspiracy theories. 

Knowns... Zika crosses the placenta, Zika can be transmitted via semen, Zika is transmitted by a specific mosquito that also carries other viruses, this mosquito is spreading to warm climates, people w/o immunity to Zika can become infected... etc

It will be confirmed soon enough based on Zika vectors and clinical sequela.

Does Monsanto control the CDC?
Does Brazil have motivation to keep this info suppressed or downgrade the impact due to the Olympics?
Do these 'Scientists' include Dr Jenny McCarthy?

Let's not let Facts get in the way of gut feeling... seems to be the way of the world nowadays.


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## SMHarman (Feb 18, 2016)

DavidnRobin said:


> These 'Scientists' have forgotten major points, but importantly -
> "Correlation is NOT Causation"
> 
> An epidemiologist uses data to show to determine the cause (or lack of) from a correlate. In this situation - these will come to light soon enough regardless of conspiracy theories.
> ...


Does Monsanto control the cdc. Nope but there us certainly regulatory capture at the FDA. Michael Taylor DC for policy would be the lynchpin there. 

Anyway back to correlation and causation.  

Zika infected women in Columbia are not giving birth to Microceph babies. Sitka infected women in Brazil are giving birth to Microceph babies.   What's the correlation there?  

Microceph babies are born without zika infections. Microceph baby's are born in countries that are uninhabitable / inhospitable / too cold for mosquitoes. Correlation? Causation?

Endocrine disruptors are usually the cause of birth defects and larvicide is an ED. That's how it kills the larve it's an organophosphate.
http://www.ewg.org/research/dirty-dozen-list-endocrine-disruptors

I'll also add this huffpost article on why these scientists may be wrong. Access to abortions and other factors may play into this. 

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/zika-monsanto-pyriproxyfen-microcephaly_us_56c2712de4b0b40245c79f7c


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## CCR (Feb 18, 2016)

I'm a little concerned right now about Zika.  We have a cruise scheduled and Disney sent us a travel alert about the areas we will be going (Bahamas and Castaway Cay).  I don't think I'll change our plans however.

I'm done having children and my kids are ages 9-15.  I'm hoping that they find Zika doesn't stay in semen more than a couple years, for the sake of my older boys.  I don't think they'll be having babies until they are at least in their mid-twenties (I hope).  

We obviously don't want to wear long sleeves and pants while visiting the islands.  If we do get sick, I guess they'll be immune when they are older and starting their families.  I don't want Guillain Barre for anyone either, but I hope that risk is very low.


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## MULTIZ321 (Feb 21, 2016)

How Scientists Misread the Threat of Zika Virus - by NPR Staff/ Public Health/ Shots/ National Public Radio (NPR)/ npr.org

"The world wasn't prepared for Zika to fly across continents in the span of a few months. In 2015, when the virus began rapidly spreading across the Americas, health workers were surprised, and researchers were caught flat-footed when it came time to provide information to protecting the public's health.

Scientists misjudged Zika virus as a minor and trivial ailment when it was discovered in 1947, says Dr. Ken Stuart, the founder and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research in Seattle. That oversight is one reason for the dearth of medical knowledge around the virus..."







A health worker in Lima, Peru, fumigates against the mosquito that spreads Zika virus, dengue and chikungunya.
Martin Mejia/AP 


Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Feb 21, 2016)

Irradiated Mosquitoes to Help Zap Zika's Power - from RelaxNews/ Yahoo!News/ news.yahoo.com

"The atmosphere inside the laboratory on the outskirts of Vienna is literally buzzing with armies of male mosquitoes locked up inside net-covered boxes. Their sole mission in life: stop females from breeding.

Better known for keeping a close watch on countries' nuclear activities, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has joined the fight against Aedes aegypti -- the notorious mosquito responsible for spreading dengue, chikungunya and now the Zika virus..."

Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Feb 28, 2016)

Mosquito deterrents: The Good, the Bad and the Potentially Effective - by Emily Matchar/ Innovation/ SmithsonianMag.com

"With Zika and other mosquito-borne illnesses on the rise, researchers are looking for the next best way to keep the bugs from biting.

There’s not much that's good about mosquitoes. The itch-inducing little suckers kill about 725,000 people a year worldwide through the diseases they transmit: malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, encephalitis, chikungunya, and West Nile virus, just to name a few. Now, with news that the mosquito-borne Zika virus may be causing an epidemic of severe birth defects across South America, Central America and the Caribbean, there’s been an increased focus on mosquito control. Here, we’re highlighting some of the most interesting anti-mosquito innovations of the past few years, some more effective than others..."





(CDC/PHIL/Corbis)


Richard


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## puppymommo (Feb 29, 2016)

CCR said:


> my kids are ages 9-15.  I'm hoping that they find Zika doesn't stay in semen more than a couple years, for the sake of my older boys.  I don't think they'll be having babies until they are at least in their mid-twenties (I hope).



I read this in my local newspaper via AP:
The CDC says there is no evidence to suggest that Zika poses a risk of birth defects for future pregnancies. The virus remains in the blood of an infected person for only about a week.


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## MULTIZ321 (Mar 1, 2016)

Study Shows Zika Might Cause Guillain-Barre Syndrome - From Aljazeera and Agencies/ Health/ News/ aljazeera.com

"A new study has provided the first evidence that the Zika virus may be the cause for a spike in cases of a severe neurological disorder called the Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).

The study, published in the medical journal Lancet, showed 42 patients developed symptoms of GBS, which causes the immune system to attack parts of the nervous system.

The neurological symptoms include acute motor axonal neuropathy, which is characterised by severe paralysis. It also caused respiratory problems in about a third of the patients who needed medical assistance to breathe properly, the report said.

However, none of the patient-subjects died..."

Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Mar 12, 2016)

Stopping Zika: The GMO Mosquito that Kills Its Own Offspring - by Sandee LaMotte, CNN/ Health/ cnn.com

" (CNN)OX513A may soon be a household name in the fight against Zika in Florida.

No, he's not a new member of the Star Wars cast. OX513A is a male Aedes aegypti mosquito, genetically engineered to pass along a lethal gene to wild females that makes the females' offspring die. He's the product of Oxitec, a small biotechnology company launched by Oxford University professors in 2002, now owned by global biotech giant Intrexon.

And depending on the outcome of public comments to the FDA, OX513A could make his first appearance in Florida later this year as part of a trial, testing his ability to fight Zika-carrying mosquitos in Florida..."

Editor's Note: This is part three in a four-part series about the efforts to stop or slow the spread of Zika virus though the use of modified and engineered mosquitoes. See All 4 pieces here



Richard


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## DavidnRobin (Apr 13, 2016)

Duplicate - sorry


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## DavidnRobin (Apr 13, 2016)

SMHarman said:


> Does Monsanto control the cdc. Nope but there us certainly regulatory capture at the FDA. Michael Taylor DC for policy would be the lynchpin there.
> 
> Anyway back to correlation and causation.
> 
> ...



http://www.npr.org/sections/health-...is-the-cause-of-severe-brain-defects-at-birth

After months of hesitation, U.S. health officials now say that the Zika virus is indeed the cause of severe brain damage in the infants of some women who were infected with the virus during pregnancy.

A CDC review published online Wednesday in the *New England Journal of Medicine* describes evidence of what U.S. health officials now call a *causal relationship* between the virus and a severe form of microcephaly and intracranial calcifications.

The study marks a turning point in the current Zika outbreak, says Dr. Tom Frieden, chief of the CDC. "There's still a lot that we don't know, he says. "*But there is no longer any doubt that Zika causes microcephaly.*"


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