Climate change is spreading the zika virus

The outbreak of Zika virus in Central and South America is of immediate concern to pregnant women in the region, but for some experts the situation is a glimpse of the sort of public health threats that will unfold due to climate change.

“Zika is the kind of thing we’ve been ranting about for 20 years,” said Daniel Brooks, a biologist at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “We should’ve anticipated it. Whenever the planet has faced a major climate change event, man-made or not, species have moved around and their pathogens have come into contact with species with no resistance.”

It’s still not clear what role rising temperatures and altered rainfall patterns have had on the spread of Zika, which is mainly spread by mosquitos; the increased global movement of people is probably as great an influence as climate change for the spread of infectious diseases. But the World Health Organization, which declared a public health emergency over the birth defects linked to Zika, is clear that changes in climate mean a redrawn landscape for vector and water-borne diseases.

According to WHO, a global temperature rise of 2-3C will increase the number of people at risk of malaria by around 3-5%, which equates to several hundred million. In areas where malaria is already endemic, the seasonal duration of malaria is likely to lengthen. Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that carries Zika and other diseases, is expected to thrive in warmer conditions.

As climate change reaches almost every corner of the Earth’s ecology, different diseases could be unleashed. Increased precipitation will create more pools of standing water for mosquitos, risking malaria and rift valley fever. Deforestation and agricultural intensification also heightens malaria risk while ocean warming, driven by the vast amounts of heat being sucked up by the oceans, can cause toxic algal blooms that can lead to infections in humans.

“We know that warmer and wetter conditions facilitate the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases so it’s plausible that climate conditions have added the spread of Zika,” said Dr Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, a lead scientist on climate change at WHO.

“Infectious agents in water will proliferate with more flooding. It’s clear that we need to strengthen our surveillance and response to a range of diseases. Globalization, the movement of people, is an important factor too. In a world where we are disrupting the climate system we’ll have to pay the price for that.”

WHO estimates that an additional 250,000 people will die due to climate change impacts – ranging from heat stress to disease – by 2050, but Campbell-Lendrum said this is a “conservative estimate”.

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is there nothing CO2 cannot do?

now its caused the zkia virus..even though the patent ownership for the virus was created in 1947..via the rockefeller foundation..wow!

“Increased precipitation will create more pools of standing water for mosquitos, risking malaria and rift valley fever.”

increased rain?..thats strange..i always thought global warming meant no rain..because of heat..

“Zika is the kind of thing we’ve been ranting about for 20 years,” said Daniel Brooks, a biologist at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “We should’ve anticipated it.”

even a broken clock is right two times every 24 hours..

Zika virus is the result of climate change

A hotter, more humid world is already becoming a world of more serious virulent infectious diseases. West Nile, dengue fever, chagas, Lyme disease, yellow fever, chikungunya, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Rift Valley fever, Japanese encephalitis and malaria are just a few of the many infectious diseases spreading far beyond their previous geographic confines.
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Many insect-borne diseases never before seen in the United States have arrived at our doorstep. One of these is a truly frightening new kid on the infectious disease block called “Zika.” It is spread by mosquitoes, and erupted this year in Brazil after an unusually hot and rainy “El Niño” summer and the worst flooding in 50 years.

One in five people infected with Zika will develop symptoms, the most common of which are mild fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis typically lasting about a week. All these other infectious diseases are bad enough, so why all the new fuss about Zika? If a pregnant mother contracts Zika, her baby can develop a freakish, devastating deformity called microcephaly — i.e. unusually small skull and brain, the result of incomplete brain development.

The first case of Zika in the Western Hemisphere was reported in Brazil last May. In less than eight months, Zika has infected between 500,000 and 1.5 million Brazilians. Since October, 3,530 microcephalic babies have been born in Brazil, over 24 times more than all of last year. An explosive and terrifying epidemic is under way. Most mothers whose babies were born with the defect reported Zika symptoms during pregnancy. The virus has been isolated from placentas, amniotic fluid, and from brains of two of the babies that died from it. Brazilian health authorities state there’s no question Zika is the cause. The CDC has said, “The evidence is becoming very, very strong of the link between the two.”

Brazil is in full-blown panic mode. The country’s health ministry declared Zika a national emergency even though its connection with microcephaly is not completely understood or conclusively proven. The Brazilian government has deployed thousands of army troops and inspectors making door to door searches for mosquito breeding grounds like stagnant pools of water. Brazilian officials have even gone so far as to advise women to avoid getting pregnant if at all possible. The director of the South American Institute of Government in Health, predicted 15,000 babies will be born with microcephaly in Brazil in 2016. 

NBC News:

The proliferation of the Zika virus could be linked to climate change, a top researcher told NBC News on Monday.

Zika, which is suspected of causing severe birth defects in Brazil and has now been found in Hawaii, is a tropical virus spread by mosquitoes whose numbers are exploding as the earth gets warmer.
“Their lifestyles, their behaviors, the speed with which they grow up is tightly related to climate,” Heidi Brown at the University of Arizona said.
El Niño, which is not caused by climate change, could also raise temperatures in areas where mosquitoes are already common in the U.S. — and turn a problem into a plague.
“The idea is that mosquitoes might start emerging earlier in the year, as it’s warming up earlier in the year,” Brown said.
Jeffrey Shaman, an associate professor for environmental health sciences at Columbia University and an expert on mosquito-borne disease transmission, said it is too soon to say for sure that El Niño is helping spread the Zika virus.
“Certainly, changes in meteorological conditions, including temperature and precipitation, in a given locality, might favor mosquito reproduction and/or increase their contact with humans, which might favor Zika transmission,” Shaman wrote in an email to NBC News. El Niño “can influence local meteorological conditions.”

Weather Channel:

What’s Zika virus?
It’s a mosquito-borne condition spread by the Aedes mosquito, the same species that carries dengue fever, chikungunya virus and other infections. Infected mosquitos spread the virus person to person; in rare cases, expectant mothers have passed it on to children at the time of birth, possibly causing birth defects.
Zika has been found in parts of Africa since the late 1940s, according to the World Health Organization. Since that time, it has spread to Southeast Asia and India. May 2015 saw the first cases in Central and South America (namely, Brazil), and in December 2015, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced its arrival to Puerto Rico. Weather and climate patterns might be playing a role in the spread though several other factors are in play.
What are the symptoms?
As with many mosquito-borne illnesses, mild fever, rash, muscle pain, joint pain, headache and conjunctivitis characterize Zika. Travelers to areas where the virus is active who develop these symptoms should seek medical attention. Note that the illness is usually mild, and no deaths from Zika have been reported, according to the World Health Organization.
Should Americans worry?
Yes and no. International travelers to areas where the disease is transmitted should take care to prevent bites with protective clothing and other measures. Because the disease has spread relatively quickly in recent months, it might pose a problem in warmer areas of the U.S. in the future, as the related chikungunya virus has. But infection rates are likely to be very small, and the disease’s symptoms minimal.
How is it diagnosed and treated?
Saliva and urine tests can confirm a Zika infection though some with it might never seek medical attention due to its mild nature. It can be misdiagnosed as dengue as well, WHO states on its website. There’s no specific treatment; health care providers focus on treating individual symptoms, such as fever and aches.
How can it be prevented?
As insect-borne diseases become more common in the face of the warming planet, experts urge common sense pest-thwarting strategies. Clear your home and yard of any standing water; use screens or nets to keep mosquitos at bay; wear long-sleeved shirts and pants when outside if possible, and use insect repellent.

zika virus spreads in singape

Cover Up, Stay In: Singaporeans Wary as Zika Spreads

• Liam Fitzpatrick

SINGAPORE, Sept 2 (Reuters) – Many of Singapore’s five million people are covering up and staying indoors to avoid mosquito bites as health experts warned that the outbreak of the Zika virus in the tropical city-state would be difficult to contain.One of the world’s leading financial hubs, Singapore is the only Asian country with active transmission of the mosquito-borne virus, which generally causes mild symptoms but can lead to serious birth defects in pregnant women.

Authorities say they have found over 150 cases since the first locally contracted infection was reported a week ago, and with the virus spreading beyond the cluster where it was initially detected, more people are taking precautions.

“I’m not going to let her go outside much until Zika dies down,” said Nat Bumatay, a self-employed mother, of her six-year-old daughter Sunshine. “Usually during short holidays, we go outside to the parks, go cycling, but now I will refrain.”

A warm, tropical climate, forested areas and a network of public parks make outdoor activities popular across Singapore, especially during school holidays like the ten-day break that began on Friday.

Authorities have stepped up spraying insecticide and clearing stagnant water to prevent mosquito breeding, but many people said they were also avoiding the city’s popular outdoor food centers and dousing themselves in repellent to avoid getting bitten.

“Prevention is better than cure,” said Tomas Quong, a Filipino who has been working in Singapore for five years. “That’s why I am wearing long sleeves.”

Some fans of Nintendo’s Pokemon Go mobile game are also becoming more cautious and crowds at outdoor Pokemon hotspots around the city are likely to be thinner. “I am still okay with outdoors, just not damp and dirty parks,” said Nelson Ho, a 19-year-old gamer.

Pharmacies and supermarkets have reported a surge in mosquito repellents over the past week, with some running out of stock. Online retailers Lazada and Qoo10.sg have set up a Zika shop, while other enterprising Singaporeans trying to cash in are advertising mosquito net tents and “anti-bite” jewelry.

Slowing Economy

The outbreak coincides with a slowdown in trade-dependent Singapore. Worries about Zika could further crimp overall retail sales, United Overseas Bank economist Francis Tan said. “If it continues, people will generally not want to go out, so all the retail sectors will be slowing down,” Tan said.

Zika could also increase concerns about tourism, a mainstay of the economy, especially with the city-state’s key annual attraction – the floodlit Formula One Grand Prix race – due to start in two weeks. Several countries, including the United States and Australia, have advised pregnant women or those trying to conceive not to visit.

“It will certainly create a bit of caution in the minds of tourists and they may think about it twice,” said Jonathan Galaviz, partner at consultants Global Market Advisors. “But I don’t see Zika standing in the way of a successful F1 event or tourism flows in the short term.”

Tourism arrivals topped 8 million in the first half of this year, around 1 million more than a year ago.

The Tourism Board has said it is premature to consider any impact on the industry, with at least two international chain hotels contacted by Reuters reporting business as usual. The promoters of the Grand Prix have also said planning for the event is going ahead “as per normal.”

Several of those initially infected by the virus were foreigners, many believed to be among the thousands of migrant workers in Singapore’s construction industry.

The latest tally includes two pregnant women, and officials and experts say the number of cases is likely to increase as the virus is likely to spread.

“The virus is extending beyond the square that was drawn out,” said Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious disease specialist at Mount Elizabeth Novena hospital in Singapore. “We have re-draw the battle lines. We have to first admit defeat to Zika and accept that the whole country is at risk.”

(Additional reporting by Nicole Nee, Natasha Howitt and Imogen Braddick; Writing by Miral Fahmy; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

zika virus in America

A 70 years old person died in Puertiric under America

HEALTH ZIKA

How the United States Is Bracing for Zika

• Alexandra Sifferlin @acsifferlin
 

11:21 AM ET

    

'This is probably the most complicated issue CDC has ever faced.' Inside he CDC's emergency unit.

A mosquito’s buzz is barely audible, but it’s enough to keep scientists up at night. By 8 a.m. on Wednesday morning, disease detectives at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are busy manning the agency’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), the public health equivalent of mission control, where top U.S. scientists in every expertise, from infectious disease to birth defects, are trying to get a handle on themysterious Zika virus. For decades the virus appeared to result in just benign infection, but all that changed in a matter of months when it was linked to microcephaly and other brain and autoimmune disorders.

“This whole scenario is so different from anything I would have expected,” says Dr. Lyle Petersen, director of CDC’s division of vector borne diseases, who leads daily meetings in the EOC. “This is probably the most complicated issue CDC has ever faced. Everything is not straightforward and every single center at CDC is involved, which is unprecedented. ”

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The United States has activated its EOC to a Level 1 response just four times: during Hurricane Katrina, H1N1, Ebola, and now Zika. And it’s unsettling to both scientists and citizens that a public health emergency of international concern has forced the U.S. into attack mode twice in just under two years. Scientists knew a fair amount about the Ebola virus before it rapidly spread in West Africa 2014. Yet, it still managed to infect over 28,600 people and kill more than 11,300 in West Africa. Now Zika is the virus du jour, and while it is not as deadly, scientists are learning almost everything about it—from what it looks like to how it spreads—in real time.

“We wish we had more answers,” CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden told TIME on Wednesday. “Zika is a very challenging virus to fight and the response is enormously complex.”

MORE: What Every Woman Needs to Know About Zika

In the EOC, scientists are monitoring cases of the virus, assessing the U.S.’s ability to protect itself, figuring out better diagnostics, and running studies of pregnant women with Zika. They’ve made progress: the agency has sent better testing tools to state laboratories, launched studies of people at home and abroad, and recently declared that the link between Zika and microcephaly is definitive. “It took a lot of data being collected to use the word ‘cause,’ which we don’t use lightly,” says Peggy Honein, chief of the Birth Defects Branch at the CDC, who says she was initially skeptical about the link. “As a scientist you want to say, What is the alternative explanation? But week after week no matter how you stretched your brain, you couldn’t think of another explanation that would explain what we are seeing.”

So much about the virus is unknown, like why some pregnant women with Zika have babies with microcephaly and others did not, and when during pregnancy an infection is especially worrisome. The virus threw scientists a curve ball when it was confirmed that it could also spread sexually, a first for a mosquito-borne virus. “We had been aware of a couple [sexual transmission] case reports, we had no idea that this was going to play any appreciable role. Now it looks like it’s going to,” says Dr. Beth Bell, director of CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. “This is the first time in over 50 years that we’ve identified a birth defect caused by an infectious disease. This is really a watershed event in a number of ways.”

Fighting the mosquito, a familiar foe

America’s ability to track mosquitoes carrying viruses is not up to snuff, and Petersen will be the first to admit it.

“It’s horrible,” he says.

About 15 years ago, when the West Nile virus came to the United States, the U.S. built up a surveillance system called ArboNET—a national database of arboviral infections. But as other viruses grabbed global attention and the financial crisis hit, budgets were cut and energy was spent elsewhere. “All these other things happened, so that system has been eroding over time. It has less resources than it did 15 years ago, so the capacity for vector control and surveillance for these kinds of diseases has gone down,” Petersen says. “The other problem is that the system is geared toward West Nile. Not necessarily Zika. So we are having to rebuild a decaying system to do something else.”

MORE: What Every Woman Needs to Know About Zika

States’ ability to conduct adequate mosquito control is not much better. While some cities or regions have funding for robust mosquito control teams equipped with pesticide spraying helicopters, others do not. “If you look at a map of where there’s mosquito control, it looks like somebody threw darts at a map. What we have is a patchwork,” says Petersen. “One community may have something that’s very good, and the very next community may have nothing at all. Houston has a very sophisticated operation, other places may have the guy running the garbage truck or the snow plow doing mosquito control.”

The goal, Petersen says, is to get mosquito control efforts across the U.S. to a certain standard and to increase the mapping of mosquitoes to better understand where exactly aedes aegypti are lurking. “We don’t really have a great idea,” he says. “This is where we think they are, but we don’t know exactly where they are and in what density.”

For now, CDC workers say their top priority is protecting pregnant women and their babies, while simultaneously getting answers to the many questions that linger, and hope funding comes soon. “Nobody should have to go through this,” says Bell. “I just wish we had better tools.”