| PANDEMIC ALERT LEVEL |
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| Tracking the next pandemic: Avian Flu Talk |
Zika Virus moves towards a Pandemic 2016 |
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Medclinician 
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 Topic: Zika Virus moves towards a Pandemic 2016Posted: December 03 2015 at 3:24pm |
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http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/zika-virus-spreading-in-the-americas
News is emerging that the mosquito-borne Zika virus has spread to
more countries in the Americas. Following cases in Brazil, the World
Health Organization (WHO) said it has been notified of Zika virus
infections in Guatemala and El Salvador. The US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the findings.
Media reports suggest that cases of the virus have also been detected in Paraguay and Venezuela.
Brazil—one of the hardest hit countries—reported more microcephaly
cases, which health officials suspect might be related to infections in
pregnant women. Microcephaly is a rare neurological condition in which
an infant's head is significantly smaller than the heads of other
children of the same age and gender.
Zika virus infections, spread by Aedes mosquitoes, have rapidly
spread to new parts of the Americas since last year and continues to
sicken people in other parts of the world. Symptoms are similar to
dengue fever, but usually milder, lasting four to seven days. comment: it isn't being reported as a harsh disease - but as all viruses, it could mutate. Medclinician |
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Posted: January 16 2016 at 6:22pm |
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The CDC has now elevated the threat posed by the Zika virus to serious and concludes that it will now become a epidemic
I am no expert and have only just started developing a interest in Zika over that last few weeks as it now shows all the usual hallmarks of interest to me. A cursory examination of the available evidence suggest that it's been adapted to humans by the introduction of a dengue like protein, furthermore early signs suggests it's targeting females with microcephaly during pregnancy, with my limited knowledge I have eliminated most causes of the microcephaly and it's therefore appears genetic as I believe the virus is targeting the X chromosome. If confirmed that would be devastating to the countries affected because those entire populations would effectively be sterilized as their genetic code has permanently been altered by the virus, more disturbingly It now appears that the virus can be sexually transmitted causing the same genetic changes in the infected partner. With the world cup approaching and mosquitoes abound this is going to go GLOBAL and we don't know who will and who won't be infected, this feels like the new AIDS plague of the 21st century. ****WARNING**** My concern is that this virus may also be doing further damage on a longer time scale and the CDC concurs going by their recent CDC Telebriefing: Zika Virus Travel Alert dated 15th Jan 2016 which can be downloaded with the link here http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/t0116-zika-virus-travel.html |
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Medclinician
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Posted: January 17 2016 at 7:19am |
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Thank you for catching this one and posting. This is a significant event and wish you would consider joining the AFT family. At least 8 years I have been here and this website if pretty unique. Med |
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Technophobe
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Posted: January 18 2016 at 1:02am |
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CDC issues travel advisory for 14 countries with alarming viral outbreaksExperts scrambling as US sees first birth defect linked to mosquito-spread virus. With mounting evidence that the mosquito-spread Zika virus is behind the skyrocketing numbers of severe birth defects in Brazil, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late Friday cautioned pregnant women and women planning to become pregnant to postpone travel to a set of Latin American and Caribbean countries and territories experiencing Zika outbreaks. “Until more is known, and out of an abundance of caution, CDC recommends special precautions,” the agency said. The advisory relates to 14 countries and territories where Zika has newly spread: Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The warning appears to be the first time the agency has ever recommended pregnant women avoid specific areas due to outbreaks. But health experts at the agency felt the “enhanced precaution” was prudent after new evidence directly linked the virus to four cases of microcephaly, in which babies are born with abnormally small heads and brains. The condition can be fatal. As the agency made the announcement, the Hawaii State Department of Health confirmed the first US case of a baby born with microcephaly and evidence of a Zika infection. The newborn’s mother likely became infected with the virus while she was living in Brazil earlier in 2015 and the baby acquired the infection while in the womb, the department reported. While there have been several cases of Zika in the US, all of the people stricken were infected outside of the country and returned with the virus. So far, there is no evidence to suggest that the virus is circulating in US mosquito populations or that it can transmit from person-to-person.  Enlarge / Countries that have past or current evidence of Zika virus transmission, as of January 2016. Zika, originally identified in Uganda in 1947, is mostly known for causing a mild dengue-like disease—with symptoms including rashes, fever, muscle pain, and weakness—and has never before been linked to such a birth defect. But, after Zika’s mosquito hosts began setting up shop in new locales, the virus arrived in Brazil last year. And it was swiftly suspected of being involved with an explosion of microcephaly cases. Escalating quicklyBrazil reported its first case of Zika in May and since then Brazilian health authorities estimate that 500,000 to 1.5 million people have fallen ill with the virus. Amid that rampant viral outbreak, the country saw a more than 20-fold increase in microcephaly cases. The birth defect is generally rareand linked to genetic factors, in utero exposure to toxic chemicals, or certain infections, including rubella and chicken pox. In 2014, there were 147 cases of microcephaly in Brazil. But from October 2015 to January 2016, there were more than 3,500 suspected cases, according to Brazilian health authorities.  Enlarge / MRIs of a normal individual (left) and a patient with microcephaly caused by genetic mutation (right). The authorities found traces of Zika virus in pregnant women who gave birth to babies with the defect, as well as in amniotic fluid. Recently, the CDC found more direct evidence to support a link, CDC spokesperson Candice Hoffmann told Ars. The agency found that two fetuses who died in the womb were infected with the virus. Additionally, two babies born with microcephaly who were carried to full term but died after birth had traces of Zika virus in their brain tissue. The mothers in all four cases reported that during their pregnancies they got sick with a rash-causing illness consistent with Zika. The new data was enough to convince the CDC to caution pregnant women headed to Zika-stricken areas. But, it’s still does not definitively prove that Zika causes or contributes to the defects. To do that, researchers must conduct “intensive investigative research, including careful case-control and other epidemiologic studies as well as attempts to duplicate this phenomenon in animal models,” Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and David Morens, a medical historian at the institute, report. Meanwhile, health experts are scrambling to get out ahead of Zika’s spread. It’s been known to circulate in mosquito populations in several African and Asian countries for years. But amid warming global temperatures and increased global travel and trade, its mosquito hosts of the Aedes genus have spread to new areas, particularly countries in the Western Hemisphere. Authorities in Brazil are now instituting new campaigns to squash mosquito populations there, which are also spreading dengue and chikungunya infections. In the US, health experts have nervously discussed the possibility that Zika could become established in mosquito populations here and start spreading. "Many areas in the United States have mosquitoes that can become infected with and transmit Zika virus,” the CDC’s Hoffman told Ars. “However, recent chikungunya and dengue outbreaks in the United States suggest that Zika outbreaks in the U.S. mainland may be relatively small and focal.” So far, there is no specific treatment or vaccine for Zika. In light of this new threat, Fauci and Morens said “we clearly need to up our game with broad and integrated research.” |
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How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving. |
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Posted: January 18 2016 at 4:52am |
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This Zika (variant) was first discovered in remote island community in
Polynesia in 2007, it's main Glycoprotein spike on the surface has been
modified
 and now looks dengue like and is able to infect humans.It would appear the above article is giving a FALSE IMPRESSION further it goes on to state that their is NO evidence of HUMAN to HUMAN transmission which is a outright LIE. Obviously the virus passes from the mother to the unborn child furthermore their is evidence of HUMAN to HUMAN transmission as two researches working on those islands became infected with the Zika (varient) and gave it to theirs wifes upon thier return home. It may not have been demonstrated in a controlled laboratory yet but a LIE is still a LIE. What I am worried about, is this the same as Ebola were it can live in the seminal fluid for 9 months, I SIMPLY DONT KNOW 
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Posted: January 18 2016 at 7:54am |
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Brazilian STD That Can Cause Birth Defect Coming To U.S.JP Carroll Parts of Brazil have declared a http://www.science.com/state-of-emergency-declared-as-brazil-faces-virus-that-shrinks-babies-brains - state of emergency because of the Zika virus. It can be sexually transmitted and scientists believe the illness will hit the U.S. soon. The Zika virus is transmitted through bites from the Aedes species of mosquito. The virus can cause birth defects such as stunted brain and skull growth in babies. A 2011 study from the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases focuses on a case study in which a man contracted the illness abroad and most likely passed it to his wife http://www.newsweek.com/zika-virus-spreading-outside-brazil-and-could-threaten-us-411623 - during sex before he developed visible symptoms of the illness. Scientists suspect that the virus was in the doctor’s semen. None of the couple’s four children contracted the Zika virus. The journal study also posits that blood transfusions can lead to contracting the illness.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the http://www.cdc.gov/zika/symptoms/index. - symptoms of the illness in most cases consist of “fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis (red eyes). Other symptoms include muscle pain, headache, pain behind the eyes, and vomiting.” Cases of the illness typically last between a few days to a week. In 2014, Brazil had 200 recorded cases of the mosquito-borne illness compared to almost 3,000 cases in 2015. In an interview with Vox, the director of the Institute for Human Infections and Immunity at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston Scott Weaver said, “It’s spreading really fast…I think [the Zika virus] is going to be knocking on the doorstep in places like Florida and Texas probably in the spring or summer.” Last week a case of the Zika virus was http://qz.com/585140/a-virus-ed-to-shrinking-newborns-brains-is-spreading-rapidly-beyond-brazil/ - reported in Puerto Rico. http://thelibertarianrepublic.com/brazilian-std-that-can-cause-birth-defect-coming-to-u-s/ |
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Posted: January 18 2016 at 12:07pm |
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The Dragon Kings in 2008 knew about the privileged areas in the central nervous system and the testes though the extensive testing of their EBOLA Bioweapon, we now know that Zika(variant) first appeared in french Polynesia in 2007 is their a connection here
 Does Zika(variant) remain in the seminal fluid of it's male victims for 9 months ? Would be interested in knowing if Zika(variant) shared some of Ebola traits such as the protein VP24 Interferon antagonist ? |
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CRS, DrPH
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Posted: January 18 2016 at 6:11pm |
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I predict that this will put a big chill on honeymoon vacations to the Caribbean and other hot-spots:
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning pregnant woman and others to be aware when traveling to countries where a new mosquito-borne illness — possibly linked to babies born with small, undeveloped brains in Brazil — has appeared. The travel alert came the same day that Haitian health officials confirmed that the Zika virus was present in the country. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/article55312930.html Who would want to risk a malformed newborn from a romantic getaway?
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Medclinician
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Posted: January 19 2016 at 8:17am |
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http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/01/12/cdc-confirms-zika-virus-case-in-texas.html
It is in the U.S. On Monday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Texas confirmed a case of Zika virus, an untreatable mosquito-borne illness. Health officials in Brazil confirmed in November that the virus, which is common in Latin America and South Asia, is causing some babies in the country to be born with abnormally small heads. Zika can be transmitted to babies in utero. Fox 26 Houston reported that the Texas case in question is a woman who traveled to Latin America, but officials in the state aren’t concerned about local transmission of the virus and are actively tracking mosquitoes in the area. "We’re monitoring," Dr. Umair Shah, executive director of Harris County Public Health, told the news station. "We’re always going out to the field, we’re trapping, we’re collecting, and we’re checking. We’re isolating the virus...so there shouldn’t be any alarm right now." Medclinician |
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Medclinician
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Posted: January 19 2016 at 8:19am |
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This may do more than put a big chill on vacations. They have confirmed a case in Texas and I am sure there will be others. Med |
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Posted: January 20 2016 at 9:55am |
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Genetically engineered mosquitoes battle Zika virus in Brazil
In an effort to curb the spread of the Zika virus, a UK-based company has partnered up with Brazilian authorities to introduce genetically modified sterile mosquitoes into the wild to reduce the population and the threat of the virus spreading to humans. The task is to introduce sterile genetically engineered mosquitoes into the highly dense mosquito-infested area to curb their populations and prevent the disease from spreading. Once introduced the genetically modified male mosquitoes will seek out female mosquitoes in the wild to mate with them. The result of such mating will result in no offspring, and that will eventually reduce the entire mosquito population in the area, drastically reducing their threat to humans. https://www.rt.com/news/329504-gm-mosquito-zika-virus-brazil/ |
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Posted: January 20 2016 at 3:04pm |
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********ca/2016/01/brazilian-moh-3893-suspected. - Brazilian MHO: 3893 Suspected Microcephaly Cases Under Investigation
In a normal year Brazil records fewer than 200 microcephalic births, but
since October that number has skyrocketed, with more than 3800
suspected cases reported in the past few months.
Laboratories expand 20 times the capacity for Zika tests Ministry of Health is acquiring 500,000 PCR tests for the virus, increasing the production capacity of one thousand to 20 thousand monthly diagnostics. Newsletter registers 3,893 suspected cases of microcephaly. CDC has developed interim guidelines for health care providers in the United States caring for pregnant women during a Zika virus outbreak. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6502e1er.htm?s_cid=mm6502e1er_e |
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Posted: January 20 2016 at 5:16pm |
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Thanks, Med! I'm tracking this one closely: All of those diagnosed with Zika in the U.S. were reportedly infected in countries overseas where Zika has begun circulating, health officials say. Two of the Florida cases occurred in Miami-Dade County residents who traveled to Colombia in December; the third case is a resident from the Tampa-St. Petersburg area who traveled to Venezuela in December. Blood tests were confirmed by the state public health laboratory in Tampa. No official tally of U.S. cases is available, U.S. health officials say. So far, they say, there is no evidence that the virus has begun to spread locally in the U.S. |
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Posted: January 20 2016 at 5:53pm |
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Zika virus about to broaden horizons of the scientific community.
This discovery that that the Zika virus can be transmitted
sexually marks what's most likely the first known case of sexually
transmitted insect-borne disease. http:/ews.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/04/sex-after-a-field-trip-yields-sc. - Science reports: There is no direct evidence, but the circumstantial evidence is strong
"If sexual transmission could be verified in subsequent studies," http://www.cdc.gov/eid//17/5/pdfs/10-1939.pdf - Foy wrote, "this would have major implications toward the epidemiology of ZIKV and possibly other arthropodborne flaviviruses." |
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Posted: January 21 2016 at 6:32am |
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The World Health Organization has released an updated (Jan 20th) Q&A file on the Zika virus, one that offers an assessment of the risk and advice to travelers. their cautionary advice that falls far short of what some other health agencies have offered in recent days.
But where the WHO only advises pregnant women to `take extra care to protect themselves from mosquito bites', our own CDC (see CDC Level II Travel Advisory) recommends that pregnant women `consider postponing travel to the areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing'. The United States is not alone. On Monday Hong Kong's CHP recommended `Pregnant women should consider deferring their trip to areas with past or current evidence of ongoing Zika virus transmission'. Meanwhile, the governments of Jamaica and Columbia have both recommended women postpone becoming pregnant for the next 6 months to a year, until the risks of Zika can be better understood. Have the DRAGONS KINGS instructed WHO to stand down as they did during the dispersal of EBOLA in West Africa. ? CAUTION The cause of the microcephaly appears genetic as I believe the virus is targeting the X chromosome. IF CONFIRMED that would be devastating to the countries affected because those entire populations would effectively be sterilized as their genetic code has permanently been altered by the virus, more disturbingly It now appears that the virus can be sexually transmitted causing the same genetic changes in the infected partner. |
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Posted: January 21 2016 at 3:26pm |
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Eurosurveillance: Zika Virus Infection Complicated By
Guillain-Barré Syndrome, we looked at a report that calculated a 20 fold
increase in GBS after the arrival of Zika in French Polynesia.
The authors wrote: Since the beginning of this epidemic, and as up to 8,200 cases of ZIKA infection have already been reported of a 268,000 total population, the incidence of GBS has been multiplied by 20 in French Polynesia (data not shown), raising the assumption of a potential implication of ZIKA. Since these islands were seeing a concurrent Dengue outbreak there was speculation that co-infection by Dengue and Zika - or sequential arboviral immune stimulation - might predispose one to more severe illness. Adding some credence to this notion, with dengue, it is usually a person's second infection that causes severe illness, while the first infection is usually mild. The prevailing theory is that the host’s immune system - which already has neutralizing antibodies to the first DENV infection - mistakenly identifies the second DENV infection as being the same strain. Rather than creating new neutralizing antibodies to fight the infection, it deploys its existing cross reactive, but non-neutralizing (read: ineffective) antibodies to the field of battle. Sometimes called OAS or Original Antigenic Sin, this is the immunological equivalent of taking a knife to a gun fight. A big thanks to AFD for the link it's much appreciated This is an interesting theory as it had to be shock and awe attack on the immune system for Zika to take hold the way it has, its certainly an alternative to my theory of the Zika(varient) sharing Ebola traits such as the viral protein VP24 (Interferon antagonist), time will tell. |
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Posted: January 22 2016 at 6:42am |
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A study on phylogeny and phylodynamics
ZIKV in Africa and Asia. Partial and full length genome sequences of 38 strains from Senegal, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic and Malaysia were analysed. Phylogenetic reconstructions and datation were performed while recombination and viral population migrations were investigated. Phylogenetic analysis of the E, NS5 and NS5/3’NC gene showed two distinct ZIKV lineages circulating in Africa and a third lineage formed by the Micronesia and Malaysia strains. Besides, analysis of full length genome sequence allows identification of 5 recombinants isolates in Senegal and Ivory Coast. The 3 gene regions sequences evolved at a average rate of 7.74 x 10^(-4) nucleotide substitutions per site per year. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3019486/ |
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Medclinician
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Posted: January 22 2016 at 9:17am |
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http://heraldvoice.com/2016/01/22/concerns-over-zika-virus-outbreak-growing-in-u-s/
The CDC also has recommended screening pregnant women for Zika virus if they've traveled to a country where it's a riskk, and has also advised pregnat women to consider postpoing travel to areas where the virus transmission is ongoing. Two of the Florida cases occurred in Miami-Dade County from where residents traveled to Colombia in December. There are three reported cases in Florida- all three contracted the virus outside the U.S. Colombia's Deputy Health Minister Fernando Ruiz also cited that 12 cases have been reported of people with a neurological syndrome that resembled symptoms of the Zika virus and corresponding with Guillain-Barre syndrome, which is a condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves. Zika virus often produces flu-like symptoms like fever, headaches and joint pain as well as skin rashes and conjunctivitis (red eyes). Herald Voice In Illinois, two pregnant women have been reported as having become infected with the virus. In 80 per cent of cases, the infection goes unnoticed, and it is very rarely fatal. The Zika virus is passed from the bite of infected mosquitoes, and now there's a major travel warning for women after a dozen cases of the virus showed up in the United States. The CDC is in the process of working out a system for collecting information about confirmed Zika virus cases, Skinner said. The mother most likely had the infection while she was residing in Brazil. But there are reports of cases in at least four states. Medclinician |
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Medclinician
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Posted: January 22 2016 at 9:22am |
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http://finance.yahoo.com/news/untreatable-zika-virus-expanding-reach-171323786.html
Updated 5 minutes ago - Fri, Jan 22, 2016, 12:21pm EST The CDC released more travel health notices Friday that named eight more countries in which the disease has spread via mosquito bites. These include Samoa, Cape Verde, and more countries in South America and the Caribbean. The Zika virus is primarily transmitted by Aedes aegypti, the type of mosquito responsible for spreading dengue, yellow fever, and a whole host of other tropical infectious diseases. Originally identified in 1947 in Uganda, Zika was relatively unknown until 2007, when there was an outbreak of the virus in Micronesia. The mosquitoes pick up the virus from infected people, according to the CDC. There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika. comment: This is going to become more of a problem in the United States and the rest of the world. Medclinician |
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Posted: January 22 2016 at 1:54pm |
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CDC adds countries to interim travel guidance related to Zika virus
Seven days ago the CDC issued a Level-II travel advisory for 14 countries and territories over the Zika Virus threat, and warned that list would likely grow. Two days ago, in PAHO: Zika Marches On, we looked at an updated list of affected countries from the Pan American Health Organization, which had increased to 20 nations and territories. Today the CDC has released a statement adding Barbados, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin, Guyana, Cape Verde, and Samoa to the list. Given the speed with which this virus is spreading, it seems likely this list will continue to expand in the weeks ahead. http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/s0122-zika-travel-guidance.html |
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Posted: January 22 2016 at 4:28pm |
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Spread of the pandemic Zika virus lineage is
associated with NS1 codon usage adaptation in humans Caio C´esar de Melo Freire1, Atila Iamarino1, Daniel Ferreira de Lima Neto1, Amadou Alpha Sall2, and Paolo Marinho de Andrade Zanotto1* 1Laboratory of Molecular Evolution and Bioinformatics, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil. 2Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal. *Corresponding author: pzanotto@usp.br. http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/032839 Selected Extracts From the Paper. While the Asian lineage is spreading along long chains human-to-human transmission in the Pacific Islands and in South America, vectored mainly by Aedes aegypti (Musso et al., 2015). Crucially, the ZIKV pandemic potential is maximized by being also vectored by A.albopictus (Grard et al., 2014), a mosquito that explores higher latitudes and transmitted Chikungunya virus in USA and Europe recently (Kuehn, 2014; Grandadam et al., 2011; Delisle et al., 2015). Additionally, sexual intercourse and perinatal infection may be alternative routes of transmission (Besnard et al., 2014; Foy et al., 2011). We found that recent Asian epidemic lineages had stronger codon bias on NS1 and NS4A genes and were also more adapted to humans. Moreover, the NS1 protein is secreted at high levels by infected cells as hexamers that are implicated in immune evasion strategies and we obtained similar results on translational selection on NS4A while NS4A may enhance viral survival by preventing cell death by the up-regulation of cell autophagy. NS1-specific antibodies are usually found during secondary infections and there is NS1 cross-reactivity between ZIKV and DENV (Lanciotti et al., 2008; Vald´es et al., 2000; Muller and Young, 2013), which could impact on pathogenesis. My Comments, There is evidence that the damaging effects of the ZIKV virus could be amplified in those countries also affected with Dengue & Chikungunya viruses. As suspected the Zika virus is not only adapting to a new human host but it knows the human anatomy intimately by deploying successful immune evasion strategies such as aptosis inhibtors ect and this is disguised by the fact that their is NS1 cross-reactivity between ZIKV and DENV viruses which could impact on pathogenesis.My worst fears are now being realized, alarm bells must ring now. |
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Posted: January 22 2016 at 6:24pm |
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****IMPORTANT ZIKA UPDATE****
Zika Virus Now Linked to Paralysis as Cases of Guillain-Barré spiked in countries hit Many patients had symptoms of Zika one to two weeks before experiencing paralysis. one patient says. "I became motionless and thought I would die. All of this happened just a few days after I had Zika." Another patient had to be put on a ventilator for 40 days once the paralysis reached her breathing muscles. Most people recover from the condition, though some suffer long-term nerve damage. |
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Posted: January 23 2016 at 4:49am |
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Zika Virus: Three UK Travellers DiagnosedSource and full article: http://news.sky.com/story/1627459/zika-virus-three-uk-travellers-diagnosed
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How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving. |
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Medclinician
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Posted: January 25 2016 at 10:07am |
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Will Zika Virus be the next Pandemic? Does a Pandemic have to be the Flu?
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2016-01-25/zika-virus-expected-to-spread-north-through-us-who MONDAY, Jan. 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- The mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has harmed thousands of babies born in Brazil, will likely spread to all but two countries in North, Central and South America, the World Health Organization warns. Transmission is probable because the Aedes mosquitoes, which spread the virus, populate the entire region except for Canada and continental Chile. Also, the "population of the Americas had not previously been exposed to Zika and therefore lacks immunity," according to a WHO statement released Sunday. Meanwhile, organizers of the Summer Olympics 2016 in Brazil said they'll be on high alert to prevent Zika transmission. According to the Associated Press, the committee plans daily inspections of the Olympic and Paralympic sites to seek out stagnant waters where Zika-spreading mosquitoes could breed. The games are scheduled for Aug. 5-21. "Rio 2016 will continue to monitor the issue closely and follow guidance from the Brazilian Ministry of Health," the committee said in a statement. Since last May, 21 countries and territories in the Americas have reported cases of Zika, which is linked to a brain disorder called microcephaly. Babies with the condition have abnormally small heads, resulting in developmental issues and, in some cases, death. Medclinician |
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"not if but when" the original Medclinician
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phyrefly
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Posted: January 25 2016 at 3:11pm |
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Zika was discovered in Zika Forest, Bwamba County, Uganda in 1947. Its vectors and their parasites show that the Zika model may yield clues to the Congo ebola cases whereby missionaries left guinea pigs in the village. The concept is phoresy and the fact that there is an immune blind spot in guinea-pig cheek pouches.
For Zika vectors, the guinea pig link is here: Zika / Phoresy Among Guinea Pigs / Aedes aegypti / Ae. albopictus http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15499448 |
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phyrefly
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Posted: January 25 2016 at 3:14pm |
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In addition, the zenith of the Zika outbreak in French Polynesia was during the precise week for ebola "patient zero" at Gueckedou.
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Posted: January 25 2016 at 5:00pm |
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One question CAN this virus spread to all of the U.S. via the mosquito or does this mosquito only survive in southern states?
A person I know got West Nile 3 years ago. This poor man is still very ill can't work, can't really do much of anything. He is in his 50's with teen kids. It is very sad he can't take care of his family and his medical bills. "There but for the Grace Of God go I." We had all better watch this one it could kill a lot of people and destroy the lives of young parents. |
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carbon20
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Posted: January 25 2016 at 6:08pm |
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Sorry didn't see this post and have posted similar in latest news
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Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.🖖
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Albert
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Posted: January 25 2016 at 10:26pm |
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Looks like it's mutated. Interesting question about if this could be the next pandemic med. Apparently it's also going to sprad across the U.S.
Zika Virus Will Spread Through The Americas, Health Group SaysOriginally published on January 25, 2016 4:45 pm The World Health Organization says it expects the Zika virus to spread to every country in the Western Hemisphere except Canada. It says the virus has already "spread to 21 countries and territories of the Americas." "Canada is off the list simply because it's too cold for the type of mosquito that transmits the Zika virus," NPR's Jason Beaubien reports to our Newscast unit. The illness caused by the virus has been blamed for birth defects. The WHO's regional office — the Pan American Health Organization — says the type of mosquito provides one explanation for the virus's rapid spread. The virus "will likely reach all countries and territories where Aedes mosquitoes are found," PAHO says in a statement. The organization attributes another factor to the spread of the virus: "The population of the Americas had not previously been exposed to Zika and therefore lacks immunity." Additionally, some epidemiologists think the virus may have mutated. "This may be a new strain that's traveling very quickly but we really don't know," Yale epidemiologist Albert Ko tells Jason. Jason says the virus was first identified in Brazil in May 2015 and "coincided with a marked spike in severe birth defects, and possibly other neurological problems." PAHO recommends trying to reduce mosquito populations and avoid bites.http://wunc.org/post/health-group-says-zika-virus-will-spread-through-americas#stream/0 |
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hachiban08
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Posted: January 25 2016 at 10:39pm |
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http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2016/01/25/fears-grow-in-wake-of-confirmation-of-1-case-of-zika-virus-in-la-county/
Fears Grow In Wake Of Confirmation Of 1 Case Of Zika Virus In LA CountyLOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — New fears have emerged over the incurable disease Zika virus amid confirmation from health officials of one confirmed case in Los Angeles County. A doctor with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health says the confirmed local case was that of a teenager who was not pregnant. According to the doctor, the patient had traveled outside of the United States when the Zika virus was contracted back in November. However, there is no risk of spreading the virus as it only lasts inside the body up to seven days. The California Department of Public Health has also confirmed five cases of the Zika virus in the state, all from people infected outside of the U.S. The disease can cause unborn babies’ brains to be underdeveloped. The number of people infected is growing in Latin America with nearly 4,000 cases in Brazil. The virus is spread by infected mosquitoes known as Aedes which are found in the U.S. “When you see a tenfold increase in the babies in Brazil of getting this birth defect, it is very real and it’s very much here,” said Sherry Ross, an obstetrician gynecologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center. She says her pregnant patients are concerned and with word of one confirmed case in LA County, she’s downright worried. Los Angeles County Vector Control says they’re worried about the Aedes mosquito and for years have been trying to eradicate all mosquitoes including those that carry West Nile. |
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Be prepared! It may be time....^_^v
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Medclinician
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Posted: January 26 2016 at 9:28am |
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What can spread Zika? For one, it can spread in the U.S. without people traveling abroad to catch it. It is a vector borne disease and if you have people with it in the U.S. other people can catch it. It was the flea, in a vector borne disease, the flea, that was the most common cause of spread the Bubonic Plague through Europe - a vector.
(transmission can occur by bites or scratches from infected wild rodents and cats, or contact with tissue from infected animals.) http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs387/en/ Could more than one type of mosquito carry Zika? However it is not possible to entirely avoid dengue and chikungunya in the United States. The Southern United States, and especially the Southeast, faces the biggest threat. Aedes aegypti, the type of mosquito that can spread dengue, chikungunya and Zika, lives in this region, as well Central and South America, Africa, Australia and South Asia. Another type of mosquito, Aedes albopictus, can also transmit these viruses and is more widespread in the United States, but is less of a threat because it does not feed on human blood as frequently and lives in less close contact with people. The Culex mosquitoes, the main vector for West Nile virus, are found all over the United States. comment: how easy or realistic is it to expect most people to be able to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes? It only takes one in a house or apartment through an open window while you are asleep.http://www.kspr.com/news/health/how-to-keep-away-mosquitoes-carrying-zika/21051714_37557442 Colorado has been posting a bit on the fact they do not have a mosquito which could carry this. Hasn't there been a problem with mosquitoes becoming tougher and being able to survive in colder climates? It is tempting to speculate that climate warming may result in a northward range expansion. Has it been moving further north? http://elifesciences.org/content/4/e08347 Dengue
and chikungunya are increasing global public health concerns due to
their rapid geographical spread and increasing disease burden. Knowledge
of the contemporary distribution of their shared vectors, Aedes aegypti
and Aedes albopictus remains incomplete and is complicated by an
ongoing range expansion fuelled by increased global trade and travel.
Mapping the global distribution of these vectors and the geographical
determinants of their ranges is essential for public health planning.
Here we compile the largest contemporary database for both species and
pair it with relevant environmental variables predicting their global
distribution. We show Aedes distributions to be the widest ever
recorded; now extensive in all continents, including North America and
Europe. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/zika-699463-county-virus.html “Now that (the mosquito) is here in the county, it’s one more disease on the list that we have to be concerned about. It adds to chikungunya, dengue – that up until about four months ago we weren’t worried about,” said Jared Dever of Orange County, California - Mosquito and Vector Control. Zika symptoms About 1 in 5 people infected with Zika virus get sick. When they do, fever, rash, joint pain or conjunctivitis (red eyes) appear. Other symptoms include muscle pain, headache, pain behind the eyes and vomiting. It rarely leads to hospitalization. The Aedes aegypti, above, is a non-native, tropical mosquito capable of spreading such diseases as dengue, chikungunya and Zika. Medclinician |
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"not if but when" the original Medclinician
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Medclinician
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Posted: January 27 2016 at 1:57am |
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Spread of Zika to the U.S. continues
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"not if but when" the original Medclinician
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Medclinician
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Posted: January 27 2016 at 2:00am |
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Has the Zika virus mutated?
Medclinician |
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KiwiMum
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Posted: January 27 2016 at 5:07pm |
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This has just appeared in NZ papers this weekend. What a terrible disease. What really worries me is a) just how rapidly it's spreading, and b) how it affects pregnant women. Since it's been around since 1940, why is it suddenly spreading so fast? Has it mutated? Scary.
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Those who got it wrong, for whatever reason, may feel defensive and retrench into a position that doesn’t accord with the facts.
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Albert
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Posted: January 27 2016 at 5:49pm |
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I just hope any pregnant women think twice about attending the summer Olympics in Brazil. That would be a very unwise move.
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Albert
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Posted: January 27 2016 at 5:57pm |
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It's in Mexico and a fairly safe bet to say it will spread in the U.S. come spring. Pregnant women and new families really need to be on guard for this one as it's headed to N. America soon. This is another reason why we went from Defcon 2 to 3.
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CRS, DrPH
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Posted: January 27 2016 at 6:48pm |
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Not only presently pregnant women, but also women who are planning to conceive, or might unknowingly conceive during a trip. Most of the damage done to a developing fetus occurs before the mother is even aware she is pregnant. That is a long-standing principle of toxicology, and we have seen this happen over and over again. In this case, unlike thalidomide or other man-made teratogens, the Zika virus is part of our ecosystem. If it spreads through the USA as rapidly as the West Nile virus did, it will be big problems. Microcephaly almost makes autism look insignificant by comparison. I feel very badly for the afflicted children and their families, this is a cruel fate. |
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Medclinician
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Posted: January 28 2016 at 7:43am |
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http://www.ksl.com/?nid=235&sid=38302196&title=the-latest-un-see-up-to-4-million-zika-cases-in-a-year
Posted Jan 28th, 2016 @ 8:10am Associated Press 8:10 a.m. The World Health Organization estimates there could be 3 to 4 million cases of Zika in the Americas over the next year. Sylvain Aldighieri, head of WHO's epidemic response team in the Americas, said the estimate is based on previous numbers of infections of dengue fever, which is also carried by mosquitoes. He said the agency expects "huge numbers" of infections because of the widespread presence of the mosquitoes that spread Zika and because there is no immunity among the population. He said that since most people with Zika don't get sick, there is a "silent circulation" of the disease that may make tracking its spread more difficult. comment: It is a far cry from the estimated 60 or so million cases in the Swine Flu Pandemic but this is just in the Americas. There are a large number of countries which have the mosquito that can spread this. Will Zika be the next Pandemic? How dangerous is this? Could it mutate to a form that doesn't need mosquitoes to carry it? http://plague.emedtv.com/bubonic-plague/bubonic-plague-spread.html Transmission of bubonic plague from these infected animals generally occurs in one of three ways: Inhaling infected droplets
Is anyone researching whether this can be spread other ways? Well, WHO is worried. WHO warns that Zika could spread to China. Medclinician |
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KiwiMum
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Posted: January 28 2016 at 10:13am |
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So if you catch Zika, have the mild symptoms and then recover, and then get pregnant, say 6 months later, will your baby still be at risk? Can you be a recovered Zika patient and go on to have healthy children? If not, then we really are in serious trouble.
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Those who got it wrong, for whatever reason, may feel defensive and retrench into a position that doesn’t accord with the facts.
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Medclinician
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Posted: January 28 2016 at 8:30pm |
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They really don't fully understand Zika yet - how much it will spread - how it can spread and it is likely to do more than just effect pregnant women. Med |
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Medclinician
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Posted: January 28 2016 at 8:31pm |
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To the best of my knowledge they have not declared Zika a Pandemic yet or moved to a level 5. In fact, the whole criteria for even declaring a Pandemic is different than it was before. Will check more on this.
Medclinician |
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Albert
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Posted: January 28 2016 at 8:36pm |
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The WHO has not officially declared it a pandemic yet, but they will soon. Anthony Fauci is saying that it is a pandemic and I'm sure the WHO will follow shortly. Fauci remarks
Won't take long for the WHO to do it or they will probably be criticized for failing to adequately warn the public. We're heading for a generation of malformed babies at this rate and they need to prepare. Sexually transmitted and 80% of the infected never know they have it. A rapid test would be useful and should be top priority. |
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Medclinician
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Posted: January 28 2016 at 8:45pm |
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http://www.channelstv.com/2016/01/28/zika-could-be-become-pandemic-us-scientists/
US scientists have warned that the Zika virus could become an ‘explosive pandemic’.
comment: Until Margaret Chan gets up there and declares this a Pandemic, we are not there yet. The question is what is the new criteria for a Pandemic? The rules have changed. It is my thinking that after 2009 they pretty much made it nearly impossible to call it that until it was full blown and global. They may raise the alert level - but do we have the cases yet to do that? Medclinician |
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Albert
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Posted: January 28 2016 at 8:49pm |
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I'll call this one now before the WHO, as I'm sure others will. We're having a Zika Pandemic.
There will also be no way of stopping this for nearly a decade as this type of pandemic was unexpected and there are absolutely no vaccines in the works whatsoever. |
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Medclinician
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Posted: January 28 2016 at 9:06pm |
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I did see this coming and posted it here. There are not only no current vaccines, there is no real treatment either. A Pandemic must be infectious. One of the problems here is that it has been defined in ways in terms of Influenza and contagion from person to person. Was the Black Plague a Pandemic? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandemic Are we still using this criteria or has it changed? The World Health Organization (WHO) has a six-stage classification that describes the process by which a novel influenza virus moves from the first few infections in humans through to a pandemic. This starts with the virus mostly infecting animals, with a few cases where animals infect people, then moves through the stage where the virus begins to spread directly between people, and ends with a pandemic when infections from the new virus have spread worldwide and it will be out of control until we stop it.[2] comment: What exactly can be done at this point to stop it? The one thing we can do - and I have been trying to do here with the help of others is to track its progress and the situation as it got worse from last December to present. You realize of course when I was at the last meeting in China cyberspace - Margaret Chan had to meet with a group to get permission to declare the Pandemic. There is a group in the background that will be concerned with the effect of this on world economy. This is a really bad time for a Pandemic as the markets are struggling to survive. The effect on the health industry in the U.S. could be devastating. I can't call anything. I am not a doctor. But I can see the situation is getting critical and am still waiting to see what WHO will do and say. Medclinician |
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wrote:
