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Experts: USA must prepare now for Zika virus
Liz Szabo, USA TODAY 1:36 p.m. EST January 27, 2016
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International air travel will help the virus spread quickly, said Lawrence Gostin, director of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University in Washington...
Zika "will certainly come to the United States, and I think it will come fairly rapidly," Gostin said. "We are likely to see potential fetal abnormalities. It's a really serious problem."
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Scientists don't know why Zika is spreading so quickly or why the outbreak has been particularly bad in Brazil, said Christian Lindmeier, a spokesman for the World Health Organization.
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The USA is vulnerable to Zika, not just because of of its mosquito populations, but because of entrenched pockets of poverty, particularly around the Gulf Coast, Hotez said. Mosquito-borne diseases spread more quickly in poor neighborhoods, which often have more trash, such as old tires by roadsides, that can be breeding grounds for mosquitoes. People who are poor may not even have window screens, let alone air conditioning, making them more likely to be bitten, Hotez said.
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Because up to 80% most people with Zika have no symptoms, the virus has the potential to spread widely before it's noticed. ...
But many health officials worry that the Olympics, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro this summer, could spread the virus around the world.
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To prepare for the Zika, U.S. public health officials need to start looking for the virus, both in mosquitoes and in travelers returning from outbreak areas, Gostin said. Health officials also should test pregnant women, Gostin said.
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The USA eradicated malaria in the middle of the 20th century through such efforts, which also included spraying the insecticide DDT. Use of DDT was halted, however, after it became clear that the chemical was harming wildlife, such as the bald eagle. The USA may have to consider the use of DDT or other chemicals, Gostin said. The USA also may need to consider genetically engineering mosquitoes so that they aren't able to reproduce.
Gostin said he's disappointed that the WHO hasn't done more to help countries deal with Zika.
"WHO is so late to the party," Gostin said. "They haven't weighed in on travel advisories. It's fairly shocking to see the WHO not be out front on this."
Liz Szabo, USA TODAY 1:36 p.m. EST January 27, 2016
...
International air travel will help the virus spread quickly, said Lawrence Gostin, director of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University in Washington...
Zika "will certainly come to the United States, and I think it will come fairly rapidly," Gostin said. "We are likely to see potential fetal abnormalities. It's a really serious problem."
...
Scientists don't know why Zika is spreading so quickly or why the outbreak has been particularly bad in Brazil, said Christian Lindmeier, a spokesman for the World Health Organization.
...
The USA is vulnerable to Zika, not just because of of its mosquito populations, but because of entrenched pockets of poverty, particularly around the Gulf Coast, Hotez said. Mosquito-borne diseases spread more quickly in poor neighborhoods, which often have more trash, such as old tires by roadsides, that can be breeding grounds for mosquitoes. People who are poor may not even have window screens, let alone air conditioning, making them more likely to be bitten, Hotez said.
...
Because up to 80% most people with Zika have no symptoms, the virus has the potential to spread widely before it's noticed. ...
But many health officials worry that the Olympics, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro this summer, could spread the virus around the world.
...
To prepare for the Zika, U.S. public health officials need to start looking for the virus, both in mosquitoes and in travelers returning from outbreak areas, Gostin said. Health officials also should test pregnant women, Gostin said.
...
The USA eradicated malaria in the middle of the 20th century through such efforts, which also included spraying the insecticide DDT. Use of DDT was halted, however, after it became clear that the chemical was harming wildlife, such as the bald eagle. The USA may have to consider the use of DDT or other chemicals, Gostin said. The USA also may need to consider genetically engineering mosquitoes so that they aren't able to reproduce.
Gostin said he's disappointed that the WHO hasn't done more to help countries deal with Zika.
"WHO is so late to the party," Gostin said. "They haven't weighed in on travel advisories. It's fairly shocking to see the WHO not be out front on this."
