Fetal exposure at certain stages appear to be epidemiologically associated w microencephaly and with some types of very serious eye damage. For others the disease is usually mild. The rate differences are very pronounced but the association needs to be further studied as do possible mechanisms. For others Zika is usually mild, but we DO have the right mosquito genus here to spread it. This was originally an African illness, now found also in the Americas and Asia. I do not know offhand if this is yet another originally zoonotic illness that enlarged its range due to roads built for industries like mining and logging
WHO declares global public health emergency and says a causal link to brain defects are “strongly suspected”A defect like letting a rodent predict the weather but denying scientist who say climate change is real? I think zika has already affected the right wing of the country.
Perhaps a mutation, but having new, naive hosts is sufficient. In Africa there have been enough exposures for many to have antibodies circulating. In areas to which the virus has recently moved the immune systems are naive for this virus so resistance is not present.
ARodney: the real secret is how rapidly viruses mutate when conditions, like well, climate, change especially if the change is rapid and other critters can’t adapt nearly as quickly.
kaffekup over 8 years ago
Shark attack-West Nile-Ebola Zika will kill us all!
SukieCrandall Premium Member over 8 years ago
Fetal exposure at certain stages appear to be epidemiologically associated w microencephaly and with some types of very serious eye damage. For others the disease is usually mild. The rate differences are very pronounced but the association needs to be further studied as do possible mechanisms. For others Zika is usually mild, but we DO have the right mosquito genus here to spread it. This was originally an African illness, now found also in the Americas and Asia. I do not know offhand if this is yet another originally zoonotic illness that enlarged its range due to roads built for industries like mining and logging
Mr. Blawt over 8 years ago
WHO declares global public health emergency and says a causal link to brain defects are “strongly suspected”A defect like letting a rodent predict the weather but denying scientist who say climate change is real? I think zika has already affected the right wing of the country.
Dtroutma over 8 years ago
Identified in Africa in 1947. Not new at all.
SukieCrandall Premium Member over 8 years ago
Perhaps a mutation, but having new, naive hosts is sufficient. In Africa there have been enough exposures for many to have antibodies circulating. In areas to which the virus has recently moved the immune systems are naive for this virus so resistance is not present.
Dtroutma over 8 years ago
ARodney: the real secret is how rapidly viruses mutate when conditions, like well, climate, change especially if the change is rapid and other critters can’t adapt nearly as quickly.