Z is for Zika

So this seems like a nasty little virus that's becoming the new NPR buzz. It appears to be a mosquito borne virus that gives flu-like symptoms.......but (appears to) causes massive birth defects in children of the infected parents.

It's bad enough that Brazil has mobilized 220,000 troops to eradicate mosquitos and educate the public. Many Central American countries are even recommending to their citizens that they "delay" having children for at least a couple of years.

Sounds nasty.

We just have to make it 2 more months then the kid is born and this hopefully will not effect us immediately at least.....

That's 2 new nasty tropical diseases I now have to worry about within the last 2 years.

I had a heart attack because of mosquito bites. Wear your bug repellent kids. Find one with 20% Picaridin or Icaridin for better protection that's safer than DEET.

West Nile is an issue here in Georgia. So is Chicken Gunya. Zika will be soon enough. Honestly, if it weren't for modern combat of malaria we'd probably be dodging that too.

Right in time for my wife to be pregnant with our first kid. I will have to get her to start wearing bug repellent.

Heard a piece on this disease on NPR a few weeks ago. GF's sister is trying to get pregnant with her first kid right now, good thing her family has decided to take vacation in the Outer Banks rather than the all inclusive in Mexico they were originally planning on.

Wait, is this becoming an issue in the US? One more reason I'm glad SWMBO and I can't have kids.

Its not been an issue in the US, and they say the mosquitoes that can carry are only in the southern US. We'll just have to wait and see.

Honestly though, the trillions of dollars that have been dumped into our wars on drugs, poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, obesity, illegal immigration, teen pregnancy, unemployment, communism, intolerance, littering, global warming, and high school dropouts, we couldn't have at least made an attempt at eradicating mosquitoes?

gearheadmb wrote: Honestly though, the trillions of dollars that have been dumped into our wars on drugs, poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, obesity, illegal immigration, teen pregnancy, unemployment, communism, intolerance, littering, global warming, and high school dropouts, we couldn't have at least made an attempt at eradicating mosquitoes?

It's been tried:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito_control#Use_of_DDT

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/01/27/residents-virginia-arkansas-test-positive-for-zika-virus.html

GameboyRMH wrote:

gearheadmb wrote: Honestly though, the trillions of dollars that have been dumped into our wars on drugs, poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, obesity, illegal immigration, teen pregnancy, unemployment, communism, intolerance, littering, global warming, and high school dropouts, we couldn't have at least made an attempt at eradicating mosquitoes?

It's been tried: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito_control#Use_of_DDT

I wish they gave up that easy on other stuff.

gearheadmb wrote: Its not been an issue in the US, and they say the mosquitoes that can carry are only in the southern US. We'll just have to wait and see.

Eventually it will be a problem everywhere in the US where dengue is a problem (same for chikungunya, if it's not already at that point).

I'm sitting on a flight to Mexico right now. My wife is staying home. It's a bit scary

Just great, I fly to Sao Paolo for the week on Sunday night. Looks like only a very few cases of it spreading from human to human but those were sexually transmitted.

Update: WHO declares it a public health emergency:

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/01/health/zika-virus-public-health-emergency/index.html

They're saying it MIGHT be able to be transmitted sexually now. This is pretty terrifying to me. We think that my wife's childhood friend got it; thankfully she is ok and not pregnant nor trying to be.

GameboyRMH wrote:

gearheadmb wrote: Honestly though, the trillions of dollars that have been dumped into our wars on drugs, poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, obesity, illegal immigration, teen pregnancy, unemployment, communism, intolerance, littering, global warming, and high school dropouts, we couldn't have at least made an attempt at eradicating mosquitoes?

It's been tried: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito_control#Use_of_DDT

Yea and we used to drain swamps. Try that today!

What I've been reading about it is that while there are a few cases in the US, and the mosquito exists here, it's unlikely that the disease will take off here the way it has in south america. Epidemics depend critically on the rate of transmission from one person to another, and the widespread use of window screens and air conditioning mean that the transfer rate here is likely to be much, much lower than in Brazil/etc.

More evidence that it's also an STD:

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/02/health/zika-virus-sexual-contact-texas/index.html

my inlaws are traveling to central america now. I really hope nothing happens to my father in law. My mother in law is cool.. but that father in law.. you know fragile health in all. /sarcasm

what does it do to adults ... that aren't involved in pro-creation ? and to the elderly ?

According to the "experts" I've heard interviewed. Something like 4 out of five adults get it and are asymptomatic, those who do exhibit symptoms complain of flu-like and low grade neurological problems (dizziness and hearing loss). But really nothing bad for the direct sufferers, which is why the disease hasn been on the radar of the people who study such things. It's the terrible effects on fetuses that gives people the heebie jeebies about the whole thing.

wbjones wrote: what does it do to adults ... that aren't involved in pro-creation ? and to the elderly ?

Mostly nothing.

Like kyallroad said, it is frightening because it doesn't show itself in adults, but it basically leaves unborn babies with sever brain damage.