Why All the Concern?

Although skeptics feel there is a ‘burn out’ point when the virus diminishes, and critics site overreaction, the public, especially in non-third world locations is in a completely reactive state. They’re not used to feeling like they live in virus-ridden environments such as Africa or areas of Asia including India. Zika has transcended all boundaries and  economic classes.  Now we’re talking about the economy of a country, not in rural or remote areas, but in cities where international sporting events are being played - will Zika hamper travel to Brazil for the upcoming Olympics?  Most definitely - YES.

And, on the long term, what are the far reaching damages from toxins being released in bulk into the environment during this panic phase of managing Zika?  Health care costs will skyrocket and Zika may disappear, but the damage will have been done; generations of poor health, toxicity and unhealthy children are a formula for a bankrupt economy, aside from the damage done to crop production. We will become the Roundup nightmare of our century; have we not learned from our mistakes in this regard? The EPA and other private organizations flip-flop on their opinion of the dangers of pesticides such as DEET depending on the urgency of a ‘solution’ to prevent public panic or, God forbid, a natural solution being found that trumps their multi-billion dollar pesticide revenues.  

Facts about the Zika and Other Dangerous Viruses

By  now, everyone is familiar with the current Zika virus crisis occurring in more than 38 + countries and territories, especially in the Americas. Now cases have been reported in several countries outside the ‘target zone’ including China and northern United States. It is carried by only two species of female mosquitoes—Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. One model of Zika spread includes places that have both the mosquito vectors and airports. Researchers mapped final destinations of about 9.9 million travelers who departed Brazil between September 2014 and August. Nearly 3 million came home to the U.S. The concern is the expansion by global travelers; the new cases stemmed from Brazil.  

Healthcare workers in Brazil were stunned to learn that, throughout all of 2015 and up to the present, there have been more than 4,000 total new Zika related microcephaly cases — more than 20 times higher than the numbers in prior years.

• Zika causes Guillain-Barré syndrome, an incurable, debilitating neurological condition - the body's own immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system and the nerves that connect the brain to muscles and limbs.

• Zika causes microcephaly in newborns causing abnormal brain development and physical deformity, often leading to death, but confining survivors to a life time of assisted care,usually provided by government agencies.

• Mosquitoes are adapting to exposure to pesticides and evolving defenses, including becoming ‘day-feeders’, creating more exposure to humans, rendering mosquito netting less effective, unlike the Malaria mosquito, a night feeder.

• Zika is related to dengue haemorrhagic fever transmitted by the principal mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti, known since ancient times as a carrier which proliferates in urban or populated environments.

• Found to be transmitted sexually.

Zika isn’t our only concern, it’s just the newest problem. Consider the history of mosquito transmitted diseases and viruses affecting us globally. Some are ancient, some are ‘new’ strains, but all carry risk, infection, disease and potential death.