Zika virus outbreak

waltky · Jan 27, 2016

Brazil activates 220,000 troops in fight against zika virus...

Brazil deploying 220,000 soldiers in awareness fight against Zika virus
Jan. 26, 2016 -- Brazil plans to deploy 220,000 soldiers to pass out information as the government continues its fight against the mosquitoes spreading the Zika virus.

Soldiers are expected to go from home to home throughout the country starting Feb. 13 to hand out leaflets that will inform residents on how to stop the spread of the Zika virus by eradicating mosquito breeding grounds, BBC News reported. Health Minister Marcelo Castro recently said Brazil was "losing badly" in the fight against the Zika virus, adding that its spread is one of the greatest public health crises in Brazilian history.

The epidemic is blamed on the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which transmits the Zika virus -- along with dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. Hospitalizations and fatalities are rare, with symptoms such as rash and fever lasting from a few days to one week. The virus was first isolated from a monkey in Uganda's Zika forest in 1947.

The Zika virus has also been linked to an epidemic of microcephaly -- a developmental defect resulting in a smaller-than-normal head or brain -- in newborns in Brazil, and the birth defect has been found in other children where the Zika virus has been confirmed. The first case of Zika in the United States was confirmed in Puerto Rico on Jan. 1, with the first baby with microcephaly born in Hawaii two weeks later.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-N...ainst-Zika-virus/9571453826892/?spt=sec&or=tn
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Denmark Resident Tests Positive for Zika Virus
January 27, 2016 - Health officials in Denmark said Wednesday a resident who had traveled to South and Central America has tested positive for the Zika virus.

According to the World Health Organization, the mosquito-borne virus could be linked to 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly in Brazil, a condition that results in abnormally small heads in newborns and can affect brain development. There is no treatment or cure for Zika virus infections, and an outbreak in Brazil and at least 20 other countries and territories in the Americas has prompted public health warnings. Authorities in El Salvador and Colombia have recommended women postpone getting pregnant.

In Brazil, 200,000 troops are traveling to homes to distribute pamphlets with advice on mosquito eradication, while crews are also fumigating areas that will be used for upcoming carnival celebrations and this year's Olympics. The WHO's regional office in the Americas said Monday the most effective ways to stop the virus from spreading are to reduce mosquito breeding sites and for people to protect themselves from bites with insect repellent, nets, screens and clothing that covers as much of the body as possible.

The White House said President Barack Obama met with senior health advisers on Tuesday and emphasized the need to accelerate the development of diagnostic tests, vaccines and treatments, and to make sure Americans have the information they need to protect themselves from infection. Health officials in the U.S. state of Virginia said Tuesday a man there tested positive for the virus, but that there was no risk of it spreading to others because it is not mosquito season there. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned pregnant women against traveling to areas with Zika virus outbreaks.

http://www.voanews.com/content/denmark-resident-tests-positive-for-zika-virus/3164480.html
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Obama calls for rapid Zika research as virus seen spreading
Wed Jan 27, 2016 - President Barack Obama on Tuesday called for the rapid development of tests, vaccines and treatments to fight the mosquito-transmitted Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects and could spread to the United States in warmer months.

U.S. health officials are stepping up efforts to study the link between Zika virus infections and birth defects, citing a recent study estimating the virus could reach regions where 60 percent of the U.S. population lives. Obama was briefed on the potential spread of the virus by his top health and national security officials on Tuesday. "The president emphasized the need to accelerate research efforts to make available better diagnostic tests, to develop vaccines and therapeutics, and to ensure that all Americans have information about the Zika virus and steps they can take to better protect themselves from infection," the White House said in a statement.

The virus has been linked to brain damage in thousands of babies in Brazil. There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, a close cousin of dengue and chikungunya, which causes mild fever and rash. An estimated 80 percent of people infected have no symptoms, making it difficult for pregnant women to know whether they have been infected. On Monday, the World Health Organization predicted the virus would spread to all countries across the Americas except for Canada and Chile.

In a blog post, National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins cited a Lancet study published Jan. 14 in which researchers predicted the Zika virus could be spread in areas along the East and West Coasts of the United States and much of the Midwest during warmer months, where about 200 million people live. The study also showed that 22.7 million more people live in humid parts of the country where mosquitoes carrying the virus could live year round.

Given the threat, Collins said "it is now critically important to confirm, through careful epidemiological and animal studies, whether or not a causal link exists between Zika virus infections in pregnant women and microcephaly in their newborn babies." Microcephaly results in babies being born with abnormally small heads.

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waltky · Jan 31, 2016

Epidemic of zika virus in Colombia...

Over 2,000 Pregnant Women Infected With Zika in Colombia
January 30, 2016 - The Zika virus is spreading rapidly in Latin America and Asian governments have issued advisories attempting to contain the mosquito-borne disease. Zika could be linked to birth defects such as brain damage in newborns and could cause temporary paralysis, according to medical professionals.

Health authorities in several Asian countries have advised travelers, particularly pregnant women to avoid trips to Central and South America. They have asked people coming or returning from those areas, who display symptoms such as fever and rashes to immediately report to health centers. Doctors are also required to immediately report suspected cases.

Pietro Rafael, who has microcephaly, reacts to stimulus during an evaluation session with a physiotherapist at the Altino Ventura rehabilitation center in Recife, Brazil

Meanwhile, Colombia's National Health Institute said that the country has recorded 20,297 cases of Zika infection, including 2,116 in pregnant women. In a statement released Saturday, the institute recommended that couples delay pregnancy for six to eight months. The latest numbers, reported in the institute's epidemiological bulletin, would make Colombia the second most affected country in the region, after Brazil.

US, Brazil pledge to fight Zika together

In face of Zika outburst, the presidents of the United States and Brazil have agreed on "the importance of collaborative efforts" to combat the spread of the Zika virus. After the two leaders spoke Friday, the White House issued a statement saying Barack Obama and Dilma Rouseff recognize the significance of working together "to deepen our knowledge, advance research, and accelerate work to develop better vaccines and other technologies to control the virus."

Virus spreading rapidly

The World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Pan American Health Organization warn the Zika virus is spreading rapidly through the Americas and could affect as many as four million people. The Zika virus has been tentatively linked to 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly in Brazil, a condition that results in abnormally small heads and brains in newborns. There is no treatment for microcephaly or the virus.

Brazil launches nationwide campaign
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Caught Off-guard by Zika, Brazil Struggles With Deformed Babies
January 29, 2016 Angela Rocha, a pediatrician in northeastern Brazil, measures the head of a child born with microcephaly, a tragic neurological complication linked to Zika, the mosquito-borne virus sparking a health scare across the Americas.

Outside the room, seven mothers cradling infants with abnormally small heads line up for hours for tests. More than 1,000 cases of microcephaly have been reported in just a few months in Pernambuco state, the epicenter of the Zika outbreak. "We were taken by surprise," says Rocha, a veteran infectious disease specialist at the Oswaldo Cruz University in the state capital of Recife, where doctors are struggling to care for 300 babies born with the condition. Surprise is an understatement. For a country that for years has battled the Aedes aegypti mosquito - responsible for previous epidemics of dengue, yellow fever and other tropical diseases - the outbreak of Zika has caught the government, public health administrators and doctors entirely off guard.

Mothers with their children, who have microcephaly, await medical care at the Hospital Oswaldo Cruz, in Recife, Brazil

A tropical climate, dense cities, poor sanitation and slipshod construction provided ideal conditions for mosquito breeding grounds and the spread of the Zika virus in Brazil's northeast, across the country and to more than 20 others throughout the Americas. "We just didn't have the conditions or resources necessary to stop the mosquito or the virus," says Maria da Gloria Teixeira, an epidemiologist in the neighboring state of Bahia and a director of the Brazilian Association of Collective Health, a grouping of public health professionals.

Gleyse Kelly da Silva holds her daughter Maria Giovanna as she sleeps in their house in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil

Amid warnings from governments and multilateral health agencies, pregnant women in Brazil and beyond are now seeking to avoid exposure to the mosquito, at least until contagion is contained or scientists develop a vaccine, which could still take years. Brazilian health officials this week said they plan to reach an agreement with the U.S. National Institutes of Health to work on a vaccine. Some Latin American countries have advised women to delay getting pregnant.

Overwhelmed
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waltky · Feb 1, 2016

Zika may be a Greater Health Threat Than Ebola...

Zika Feared to Be Greater Health Threat Than Ebola
January 31, 2016 - The Zika virus outbreak in Latin America could be a bigger threat to global health than the Ebola epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people in Africa.

That's according to several public health experts who spoke with the Guardian and Examiner newspapers ahead of an emergency meeting of the World Health Organization on Monday, which will decide whether the Zika threat should be rated a global health crisis. Brazilian public health authorities are reporting an increase in cases of microcephaly, a fetal deformation where infants are born with abnormally small heads. The incidence of the normally rare birth defect is 10 times higher than normal. The cause is under investigation, but there appears to be a correlation between the condition and Zika infections in expectant mothers.

Sueli Maria (obscured) holds her daughter Milena, who has microcephaly, (born seven days ago), at a hospital in Recife, Brazil

Silent infection

"In many ways the Zika outbreak is worse than the Ebola epidemic of 2014-15," Jeremy Farrar, head of the Wellcome Trust, told the Guardian. "Most virus carriers are symptomless. It is a silent infection in a group of highly vulnerable individuals, pregnant women, that is associated with a horrible outcome for their babies." There is currently no prospect of a vaccine for Zika, in contrast to Ebola, for which several are now under trial. "The real problem is that trying to develop a vaccine that would have to be tested on pregnant women is a practical and ethical nightmare," said Mike Turner, head of infection and immunobiology at the Wellcome Trust. The World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Pan American Health Organization warn the Zika virus is spreading rapidly through the Americas and could affect as many as four million people.

Threat to US

Dr. Peter Hotez told the Examiner newspaper that the Zika outbreak in Brazil poses a "far greater threat to the United States than Ebola," A Zika outbreak has "never been seen on this scale," Hotez said, despite its prevalence in Africa, Asia and the Pacific islands. Zika is a viral illness spread from human to human through the bite of a mosquito. Two species of mosquito are known to carry the virus, the Yellow Fever mosquito and the Asian Tiger mosquito. Both species are found throughout most of the Americas. The Yellow Fever mosquito can be found along the Gulf Coast of the United States while the Asian Tiger mosquito can be found as far north as New York City.

A municipal worker sprays insecticide to combat the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that transmits the Zika virus, at the Imbiribeira neighborhood in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil

Avoiding affected countries

Meanwhile, health authorities in several Asian countries have advised travelers, particularly pregnant women, to avoid trips to Central and South America. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned pregnant women against traveling to areas with Zika virus outbreaks. They have asked people coming or returning from those areas, who display symptoms such as fever and rashes to immediately report to health centers. Doctors are also required to immediately report suspected cases. Colombia's National Health Institute has recommended couples delay pregnancy for six to eight months.

US, Brazil agree on joint efforts
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waltky · Feb 1, 2016

WHO declares global zika emergency...

WHO declares global emergency over Zika virus spread
Feb 1,`16 -- The World Health Organization declared a global emergency over the explosive spread of the Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects in the Americas, calling it an "extraordinary event" that poses a public health threat to other parts of the world. The U.N. agency took the rare step despite a lack of definitive evidence proving the mosquito-borne virus is causing a surge in babies born with brain defects and abnormally small heads in Brazil and following a 2013-14 outbreak in French Polynesia.

Monday's emergency meeting of independent experts was called in response to the spike in babies born with microcephaly in Brazil since the virus was first found there last year. Officials in French Polynesia also documented a connection between Zika and neurological complications when the virus was spreading there two years ago, at the same time as dengue fever. "After a review of the evidence, the committee advised that the clusters of microcephaly and other neurological complications constitute an extraordinary event and public health threat to other parts of the world," WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan said.

WHO, which was widely criticized for its sluggish response to the 2014 Ebola crisis in West Africa, has been eager to show its responsiveness this time. Despite dire warnings that Ebola was out of control in mid-2014, WHO didn't declare an emergency until months later, after nearly 1,000 people had died. "If indeed, the scientific linkage between Zika and microcephaly is established, can you imagine if we do not do all this work now and wait until the scientific evidence comes out?" Chan said. "Then people will say, 'Why didn't you take action?'"

Musicians play samba at a street carnival parade during which health workers distributed kits with information about the Zika virus, on Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016. The sign reads in Portuguese : "Get out Zika." Originally from Africa, Zika spread to Asia and was first registered in Brazil in the middle of last year, spreading like wildfire through the northeast thanks in part to the region's widespread poverty, equatorial heat and chronic infestations of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also spreads dengue fever and chikungunya.

WHO estimates there could be up to 4 million cases of Zika in the Americas in the next year, but no recommendations were made to restrict travel or trade. "It is important to understand, there are several measures pregnant women can take," Chan said. "If you can delay travel and it does not affect your other family commitments, it is something to consider." "If they need to travel, they can get advice from their physician and take personal protective measures, like wearing long sleeves and shirts and pants and using mosquito repellent."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has advised pregnant women to postpone visits to Brazil and other countries in the region with Zika outbreaks, though officials say it's unlikely the virus could cause widespread problems in the U.S. On Monday, health officials added four more destinations to a list that now includes 28 locations, most of them in Latin America and the Caribbean. The last time WHO declared a public health emergency was for the devastating Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which killed more than 11,000 people. Similar declarations were made for polio in 2013 and the 2009 swine flu pandemic. Such emergency declarations are meant as an international SOS signal and usually trigger increased money and efforts to halt the outbreak, as well as prompting research into possible treatments and vaccines. There are currently no licensed treatments or vaccines for Zika.

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Zika-linked condition: Rio Olympics 'to go ahead' despite virus
1 Feb.`16 - There is no chance that the Rio Olympics will be cancelled because of a Zika virus outbreak, Brazil has said. The authorities said there was no risk to athletes and spectators - except pregnant women - at the August event.

Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned a disease linked to Zika posed a global public health emergency requiring a united response. The infection has been linked to cases of microcephaly, in which babies are born with underdeveloped brains. Experts are worried that the mosquito-borne virus in Latin America is spreading far and fast, with devastating consequences.

The Rio Olympics will be staged on 5-21 August

House inspections

"We have to explain to those coming to Brazil, the athletes, that there is zero risk if you are not a pregnant woman," Reuters quoted President Dilma Rousseff's chief of staff Jaques Wagner as saying. President Rousseff earlier authorised health and sanitary inspectors to use force if necessary to gain access to private buildings, as part of the government's efforts to eradicate breeding grounds for mosquitoes - especially stagnant waters. Inspectors are now able to call in the police if necessary, and more than 200,000 troops have been deployed to make such inspections. The Brazilian health ministry says about 25% of the country's 49 million homes have so far been inspected.

Brazil says about 25% of the country's 49 million homes have so far been inspected

Time to act

Meanwhile, WHO Director General Margaret Chan called Zika an "extraordinary event" that needed a co-ordinated response. "I am now declaring that the recent cluster of microcephaly and other neurological abnormalities reported in Latin America following a similar cluster in French Polynesia in 2014 constitutes a public health emergency of international concern." The WHO alert puts Zika in the same category of concern as Ebola. It means research and aid will be fast-tracked to tackle the infection. There have been around 4,000 reported cases of microcephaly in Brazil alone since October. The WHO faced heavy criticism for waiting too long to declare the Ebola outbreak a public emergency.

Stopping Zika

Currently, there is no vaccine or medication to stop Zika. The only way to avoid catching it is to avoid getting bitten by the Aedes mosquitoes that transmit the infection. The WHO has already warned that Zika is likely to "spread explosively" across nearly all of the Americas. More than 20 countries, including Brazil, are reporting cases. Most infections are mild and cause few or no symptoms, although there have been some reported cases of a rare paralysis disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome. The bigger health threat though is believed to be in pregnancy, to the unborn child.

More on the Zika crisis:
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Deckel · Feb 1, 2016

I appreciate your following this story regularly, but the reality is that most people won't care because it is not something they will suffer any consequence if they do contract it.

waltky · Feb 3, 2016

US has 'sexually transmitted' Zika case...

Zika virus infection 'through sex' reported in US
Wed, 03 Feb 2016 - A rare case of the Zika virus being transmitted through sex, not a mosquito bite, has been reported in the US.

A patient infected in Dallas, Texas, is likely to have been infected by sexual contact, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) told the BBC. The person had not travelled to infected areas but their partner had returned from Venezuela. Zika is carried by mosquitoes and has been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains. It is spreading through the Americas and the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the disease linked to the virus a global public health emergency.

The American Red Cross has meanwhile urged prospective blood donors returning from Zika-hit countries to wait at least 28 days before donating their blood. The "self-deferral" should apply to people returning from Mexico, the Caribbean or Central or South America during the past four weeks, the Red Cross said in a statement.

Elsewhere:

* Two cases of the Zika virus have been confirmed in Australia. Officials said the two Sydney residents had recently returned from the Caribbean.
* Zika has also been found in two unrelated cases in the Republic of Ireland, officials there said. A man and an older woman, who have both recovered, had a history of travelling to a Zika-affected country.
* The UK has announced people will not be able to donate blood for 28 days after returning from a Zika-affected country.

Meanwhile, Brazil - the country worst hit by the outbreak - has revealed it is investigating 3,670 suspected cases of microcephaly in babies linked to the Zika virus.

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fireballfl · Feb 3, 2016

One word for you...... Ebola. There, done.

waltky · Feb 5, 2016

Ya can't get zika from donating blood - but ya can from a blood transfusion...

Zika virus hits blood donation in US
Thursday 4th February, 2016 - WASHINGTON | The fast-spreading Zika virus triggered more alarm after a case of transmission through sexual contact was reported even as the American Red Cross asked people to defer donating blood for 28 days if they have visited any country with Zika infection.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in an advisory has told pregnant women to protect themselves if their male sexual partner has traveled to or lives in an area where Zika virus is circulating. The recommendation comes a day after health officials in Dallas County, Texas, noted a case of Zika virus in a patient who had sex with someone who had recently returned from Venezuela infected with the mosquito-borne virus. The World Health Organization has voiced concern over the reported sexual transmission of the virus that is suspected to be the cause of severe birth defects in Brazil.

WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said that most cases are transmitted by the bite of a mosquito. "This reported case in the US, of course, raises concerns," Hartl said at the UN agency's headquarters in Geneva. "This needs to be further investigated to understand the conditions and how often or likely sexual transmission is." But he said that for the WHO "the most important thing to do is to control people's exposure to mosquitoes." The American Red Cross has asked people to avoid donating blood if they have traveled to Latin America or the Caribbean in the past 28 days.

Donors who develop symptoms of Zika are to contact the Red Cross within two weeks so their blood can be quarantined, the organization said in a statementWednesday. "The American Red Cross is dedicated to providing the safest, most reliable blood products possible to patients in need," said Susan Stramer, vice president of scientific affairs at the American Red Cross. "The Red Cross continues to use safety measures to protect the blood supply from Zika and other mosquito-borne viruses." This follows a recommendation by the American Association of Blood Banks which said the virus is known to remain in the blood for less than 28 days. More than 30 Americans have been diagnosed with Zika after traveling to Latin America or the Caribbean.

The Canadian Blood Services said it is barring people from giving blood within 21 days of traveling outside of Canada, the continental USA and Europe. Blood suppliers currently test for diseases including HIV, hepatitis, West Nile virus and the parasite that causes malaria. There are no commercial tests available for Zika virus. A US travel alert has been issued for two more destinations because of the Zika virus. Health officials Wednesday added Jamaica and Tonga in the South Pacific to the list of places where travelers should protect themselves against the virus. There are now 30 travel destinations on the list, most of them in Latin America or the Caribbean. In Australia, scientists have said that the same control methods used to hold back spread of the virus that causes dengue fever could also be used to combat Zika.

Zika virus hits blood donation in US
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Inadequate testing thwarts efforts to measure Zika's impact
4 Feb.`16 - One major hurdle is thwarting efforts to measure the extent of the Zika epidemic and its suspected links to thousands of birth defects in Brazil: accurate diagnosis of a virus that still confounds blood tests.

Genetic tests and clinical symptoms have enabled scientists to partially track Zika, and Brazil guesses up to 1.5 million people have been infected in the country. The World Health Organization says as many as 4 million people could become infected across the Americas and that Zika has already been locally transmitted in at least 30 countries. But a true measure of the outbreak and its implications is impossible until doctors can quickly and reliably identify Zika through serology, a common test of blood contents that measures antibodies triggered in the immune system by a given infection.

A municipal health worker shows off a test tube with larvae of Zika virus vector, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, as part of the city's efforts to prevent the spread of the Zika, in Guatemala City, Guatemala

Laboratories in Brazil, the United States and elsewhere are rushing to develop serology tests that can accurately identify Zika antibodies while ignoring those triggered by other related viruses with similar structures. For years, the similarities have confused serology research. Brazil's government, desperate for tests to deploy at clinics and hospitals across the continent-sized country, hopes such a test could be developed in months.

Many researchers are skeptical. "The likelihood of this happening soon is close to zero," says Robert Lanciotti, chief of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's diagnostics laboratory in Fort Collins, Colorado. "It is a long-standing problem that many people have been unable to solve even with cutting-edge molecular biology." At stake is knowing just who may have carried an infection that does not even show symptoms in four out of five people who get it. Even for those that do get the aches, mild fever and rash most associated with Zika, the symptoms can easily be confused with those of other tropical maladies.

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US health officials confirm Zika virus case in Texas
Wednesday 3rd February - Texas Health officials on Tuesday confirmed that the first known case of Zika transmission has been reported in the United States and the virus, which has sparked global health emergency, may have been transmitted through sex and not a mosquito bite.

The virus, thought to be spread by the bite of mosquitoes of the Aedes genus, has caused severe birth defects in thousands of babies in Brazil and is spreading rapidly in the Americas. WHO officials on Tuesday expressed concern that it could hit Africa and Asia as well. Dallas County Health and Human Services said it received confirmation of the newly found case in Dallas from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The county department said on Twitter that the person was infected through sexual contact with someone who had traveled to Venezuela, which has a Zika outbreak.

The person infected however did not travel to the South American country, county health officials said. The CDC in a statement said the test results showed Zika present in the blood of a "non-traveler in the continental United States". They stressed that there was no risk to a developing fetus in this instance. Scientists have known that Zika can be transmitted through sex even as in the vast majority of cases it is spread through the bite of infected mosquitoes, much like malaria or West Nile virus.

The discovery of first sexual contact in the US as a mode of transmission is still considered a potentially alarming development. "Now that we know Zika virus can be transmitted through sex, this increases our awareness campaign in educating the public about protecting themselves and others," said Zachary Thompson, director of the Dallas County Health Department. "Next to abstinence, condoms are the best prevention method against any sexually transmitted infections." Zika infections are usually mild and not fatal. But sharp increase in birth defects in Brazil has caused concerns. The World Health Organization declared Monday that the Zika outbreak is a "public health emergency of international concern."

The virus has been reported in more than 30 countries and linked to microcephaly, in which babies have abnormally small heads and improperly developed brains. Before the fresh case, there have been only two documented cases linking Zika to sex. During the 2013 Zika outbreak in French Polynesia, semen and urine samples from a 44-year-old Tahitian man tested positive for Zika even when blood samples did not. Five years before that, in 2008, a Colorado microbiologist named Brian Foy contracted Zika after travel to Senegal; his wife came down with the disease a few days later even though she had not left northern Colorado and was not exposed to any mosquitoes carrying the virus.

US health officials confirm Zika virus case in Texas
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waltky · Feb 5, 2016

Zika Virus Found in Saliva, Urine Samples & Transfusion...

Brazil: Live Samples of Zika Virus Found in Saliva, Urine Samples
February 05, 2016 - Brazilian health officials said Friday that they had found live samples of the Zika virus in saliva and urine samples.

Paulo Gadelha, president of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, a biomedical research institution in Rio de Janeiro, said at a news conference that casual kissing "increases the risk" of being infected with the virus. He said, however, that there should be no anti-kissing policy. Scientists at research institution said they were trying to determine whether body fluids could spread Zika to new patients. Brazil entered the Carnival season Friday, a time when people commonly kiss strangers they meet at massive street parties. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization advised officials not to accept blood donations from people who recently returned from countries affected by the Zika virus. The mosquito-borne virus is most prevalent in Latin America, particularly Brazil, and poses its greatest danger to pregnant women. "With the risk of incidence of new infections of Zika virus in many countries ... it is estimated as an appropriate precautionary measure to defer donors who return from areas with Zika virus outbreaks," the WHO told the French news agency AFP on Thursday.

A traveler receives information about the Zika virus during a campaign by Peru's Health Ministry at Plaza Norte bus station in Lima

Microcephaly

Doctors suspect the Zika virus is linked to a rare neurological condition called microcephaly, which causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads. Brazil reports more than 4,000 microcephaly cases since October. But experts are puzzled about why it is nearly nonexistent in other Latin American countries where the Zika virus is present. Spain confirmed the virus Thursday in a pregnant woman who had recently traveled to Colombia. It was the first known pregnancy-related Zika case in Europe. There is currently no treatment for Zika. But a number of global pharmaceutical houses are rapidly working on a vaccine. Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff said Thursday that Brazil and the United States were working together to develop a vaccine for the Zika virus, but warned it might take some time.

Daniele Ferreira dos Santos feeds her son Juan Pedro, who suffers from microcephaly, as they wait to be examined at the Altino Ventura Foundation, a treatment center that provides free health care, in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil

Panama research

Meanwhile, officials in Panama said they were focusing their fight against Zika on the mosquito that carries the virus. Experts told AFP they were looking at releasing millions of genetically modified male Aedes mosquitoes, who would mate with the females and result in offspring that die at the larval stage. Panama carried out such an experiment near Panama City in 2014, nearly wiping out a town's entire mosquito population.

A medical researcher uses a monitor that shows the results of blood tests for various diseases, including Zika, at the Gorgas Memorial laboratory in Panama City

Tonga confirms 5 cases

In another development Friday, the tiny South Pacific kingdom of Tonga reported it had five confirmed cases of Zika and more than 250 other people suspected of having the virus. Tongan officials began spraying for mosquitoes in schools and other places where people gather.

Brazil: Live Samples of Zika Virus Found in Saliva, Urine Samples
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Brazil confirms Zika via transfusion
Sat, Feb 06, 2016 - TRACKING: A gunshot victim, who received numerous blood transfusions, and an organ transplant recipient, both tested positive for Zika without mosquito bites

Two people in southeastern Brazil contracted the Zika virus through blood transfusions, a municipal health official said on Thursday, presenting a fresh challenge to efforts to contain the virus on top of the disclosure of a case of sexual transmission in the US. The two unrelated cases in Brazil might be the first of people contracting Zika via blood transfusions in the current outbreak, though the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with other health bodies, have said that Zika could be spread via blood transfusions. That concern led the US Red Cross to announce that it is asking travelers to Zika outbreak nations to wait at least 28 days before donating blood. Canadian officials said that people who have traveled outside of Canada, the continental US and Europe would not be able to give blood for 21 days after their return.

Brigina Kemp, a top health official in the Brazilian city of Campinas, said that a gunshot victim and a transplant patient each tested positive for Zika after receiving blood transfusions from different donors. Kemp said staff at the University of Campinas hospital first noticed something was wrong in the middle of last year, when Brazils first cases of Zika were beginning to be reported. Generally so mild that it only causes symptoms in about one out of five cases, Zika began to raise alarm bells after doctors here started to notice a possible link between the virus spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and the birth defect microcephaly. The hospital staff noticed abnormal blood work on a young gunshot wound victim who had spent months at the facility. The patient received dozens of blood transfusions from 18 donors between February and May last year, when he died.

Because the region was in the throes of a dengue outbreak at the time, the staff suspected that disease, which is closely related to Zika, and tested him for it, Kemp said. However, the tests came back negative and the blood sample was shelved, but when an organ transplant patient tested positive for Zika after developing a fever, the hospitals blood bank staff started looking for other possible Zika cases and tests on the gunshot victims blood samples came back positive. Transfusions in the two cases were traced to separate donors who had Zika, both of whom reported having suffered symptoms days after they gave blood. The blood bank then informed Sao Paulos Adolfo Lutz Institute, which also tested the samples and informed Campinas health department of the results last month.

The Brazilian Ministry of Health said in an e-mail that while the case of the gunshot victim was not yet part of a scientific study, the case is among multiple investigations under way into the behavior of the virus. Brazilian Association of Hematology and Hemotherapy president Dante Langhi said that an academic paper about the transplant case was slated to be published shortly in a specialized medical journal. Langhi said he had been told that researchers investigating the transplant case had determined that the patient contracted Zika through the transfusion and not through a bite by the Aedes mosquito that is the virus main vector. The situation must be evaluated and discussed by technical and government authorities, Langhi said.

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waltky · Feb 6, 2016

WHO caution on transfusions from blood donations...

WHO: Refuse Blood Donations From People Who Visited Zika-affected Areas
February 04, 2016 - The World Health Organization on Thursday advised officials not to accept blood donations from people who had recently returned from countries affected by the Zika virus.

The mosquito-borne virus is most prevalent in Latin America, particularly Brazil, and poses its greatest danger to pregnant women. "With the risk of incidence of new infections of Zika virus in many countries ... it is estimated as an appropriate precautionary measure to defer donors who return from areas with Zika virus outbreaks," the WHO told the French news agency AFP. Doctors suspect the Zika virus is linked to a rare neurological condition called microcephaly, which causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads. Brazil has reported more than 4,000 microcephaly cases since October. But experts are puzzled about why it is nearly nonexistent in other Latin American countries where the Zika virus is present.

Range of the Aedes mosquito

Spain confirmed the virus Thursday in a pregnant woman who had recently traveled to Colombia. It was the first known pregnancy-related Zika case in Europe. The woman was among seven people who showed symptoms of Zika after visiting affected countries, the Health Ministry said, adding that she was under medical treatment in the northeastern region of Catalonia. Colombia's National Health Institute said last week that the country had recorded 20,297 cases of Zika infection, including 2,116 in pregnant women. In a statement released January 30, the institute recommended that couples delay pregnancy for six to eight months. There is currently no treatment for Zika. But a number of global pharmaceutical houses are rapidly working on a vaccine.

In the face of the recent increase in cases, the presidents of the United States and Brazil have agreed on the importance of collaborative efforts to combat the spread of the Zika virus. Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff said Thursday that the two countries were working together to develop a vaccine for the Zika virus, but warned it might take some time. Meanwhile, officials in Panama said they were focusing their fight against Zika on the mosquito that carries the virus. Experts told AFP they were looking at releasing millions of genetically modified male Aedes mosquitoes who would mate with the females and result in offspring that die at the larval stage. Panama carried out such an experiment near Panama City in 2014, nearly wiping out a town's entire mosquito population.

http://www.voanews.com/content/zika-virus-found-pregnant-spanish-woman/3176953.html
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Colombia links Zika to rare nerve disorder deaths
Colombia says three people have died after contracting the Zika virus and developing a rare nerve disorder. Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria said there was a "causal connection" between Zika, the Guillain-Barre disorder and the three deaths.

Earlier, Brazilian scientists said they had detected for the first time active samples of Zika in urine and saliva. However, it is not clear whether the virus can be transmitted through bodily fluids. Zika, a mosquito-borne disease, has been linked to cases of babies born in Brazil with microcephaly - underdeveloped brains. "We have confirmed and attributed three deaths to Zika," said the head of Colombia's National Health Institute, Martha Lucia Ospina. "In this case, the three deaths were preceded by Guillain-Barre syndrome." Guillain-Barre is a rare disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the nervous system. It isn't normally fatal.

Colombia has launched a programme to kill the mosquitoes that spread Zika

Ms Ospina said another six deaths were being investigated for possible links to Zika. "Other cases (of deaths linked to Zika) are going to emerge," she said. "The world is realising that Zika can be deadly. The mortality rate is not very high, but it can be deadly." Mr Gaviria said one of the fatalities took place in San Andres and the other two in Turbo, in Antioquia department. UK virologist Prof Jonathan Ball, of the University of Nottingham, told the BBC: "We have been saying Zika has been associated with Guillain-Barre. One of the complications of that could be respiratory failure. But it is still probably a very rare event."

Zika has been linked to cases of microcephaly in infants

Although Zika usually causes mild, flu-like symptoms, it has been linked to thousands of suspected birth defects. However, it has not yet been proved that Zika causes either microcephaly or Guillain-Barre. The main method of infection is via mosquito bites but scientists in Brazil say tests on two patients revealed Zika can be found in other body fluids. Paulo Gadelha, the head of Brazil's Fiocruz Institute which is part of the Ministry of Health, said: "The presence of the active Zika virus has been found in saliva and urine. "But that does not mean there is a capacity for transmission through saliva and urine."

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waltky · Feb 7, 2016

More than 3,100 pregnant women in Colombia Diagnosed with Zika...

More than 3,100 pregnant women in Colombia have Zika virus: government
Sat Feb 6, 2016 - More than 3,100 pregnant Colombian women are infected with the mosquito-borne Zika virus, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Saturday, as the disease continues its rapid spread across the Americas.

Brazil is investigating the potential link between Zika infections and more than 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly, a birth defect marked by an abnormally small head size that can result in developmental problems. Researchers have identified evidence of Zika infection in 17 of these cases, either in the baby or in the mother, but have not confirmed that Zika can cause microcephaly. There are so far no recorded cases of Zika-linked microcephaly in Colombia, Santos said. The government is now uncertain about a previous projection for up to 500 cases of Zika-linked microcephaly, based on data from other countries battling the disease, he said. Much remains unknown about Zika, for which there is no vaccine. An estimated 80 percent of those infected show no symptoms, and those that do have a mild illness, with a fever, rash and red eyes.

A health worker sprays mosquito repellent on a pregnant woman's arm, during a campaign to fight the spread of Zika virus in Soledad municipality near Barranquilla, Colombia, in this February 1, 2016 handout photo supplied by the Soledad Municipality.

There are 25,645 people infected with Zika in Colombia, Santos said during a TV broadcast with health officials. Among them are 3,177 pregnant women. "The projection is that we could end up having 600,000 cases," Santos said, adding there could be up to 1,000 cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that can weaken the muscles and cause paralysis. Scientists are studying a possible link between the disorder and Zika. The Colombian government will be working across the country to fight mosquitoes - fumigating and helping families rid their homes of stagnant water, the president said.

Health workers hand out mosquito repellent to a pregnant woman during a campaign to fight the spread of Zika virus in Soledad municipality near Barranquilla, Colombia, in this February 1, 2016 handout photo supplied by the Soledad Municipality.

The province of Norte de Santander, along the eastern border with Venezuela, had nearly 5,000 Zika cases, the highest in the country, an epidemiological bulletin from the national health institute published on Saturday showed. That province also had the highest number of pregnant women with Zika - nearly 31 percent of total cases. Colombia's Caribbean region, which includes popular tourist destinations Cartagena and Santa Marta, had more than 11,000 cases of the virus, according to the bulletin. The government has said pregnant women with Zika are eligible to access much-restricted abortion services.

Many women struggle to find abortion providers even when they meet strict legal requirements and illegal abortions are widespread. On Friday, local media reported the first abortion because of Zika infection. Colombia's health minister, Alejandro Gaviria, has said he believes three deaths are connected with Zika.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-zika-colombia-idUSKCN0VF0QG
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Zika Virus Dubbed Inconsequential Except for Link to Microcephaly
February 05, 2016 - A Zika virus outbreak has been exploding in South and Central America and the Caribbean, but experts say that except for the possible link with microcephaly, the epidemic probably would have gone largely unnoticed.

It is that suspected connection with microcephaly a condition in which babies are born with abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains that is causing alarm. "We don't know the degree of the connection, whether it's truly causal, whether there's Zika plus something else resulting in the microcephaly, whether it's Zika interacting with something else or if it has nothing at all to do with Zika, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, who heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health. We don't know for sure, but the evidence of the association is rather strong."

Health promoter Marielos Sosa deposits fish in a water tank at a local school for a mosquito control project at San Diego village in La Libertad, El Salvador

Still, he pointed out that Colombia has had a large outbreak of Zika, but no association with microcephaly. Eighty percent of the people who get Zika don't know they have it. The other 20 percent get a mild fever, mild rash and conjunctivitis, or pink eye. The virus goes away in a few days.

Perfect storm in Americas

Zika is named after the Zika forest of Uganda where it was first identified decades ago. The virus then migrated to Southeast Asia, before hopping across the Pacific and making its way to Brazil. Zika was new to the Americas. People there had never been exposed to it and had no immunity. But the type of mosquito that carries Zika thrives in Brazil's crowded cities. This mosquito lives in water cisterns, can breed in tiny amounts of water, bites during the day and likes to live indoors. "So you had the perfect storm: a naive population to the particular infection, a real problem with the mosquito and mosquito-transmitted diseases," said Fauci.

A Colombian health worker gives travelers information on how to prevent the spread of the Zika virus, at the main bus terminal in Bogota, Colombia

Zika has spread to some 24 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. There have been cases in the U.S., and health experts, including Fauci, expect to see small outbreaks of Zika in Florida, Texas and along the Gulf of Mexico. But experts don't expect to see massive outbreaks in the U.S. because Americans' exposure to mosquitoes is limited through the use of air conditioning and window screens.

Education key
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waltky · Apr 11, 2016

Zika virus 'scarier than thought' - US...

Zika virus 'scarier than thought' says US
Mon, 11 Apr 2016 - The Zika virus is "scarier" than first thought and its impact on the US could be greater than predicted, American public health officials says.

The Zika virus is "scarier" than first thought and its impact on the US could be greater than predicted, public health officials have admitted. A wider range of birth defects has been linked to the virus, said Dr Anne Schuchat of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the mosquitoes that carry the virus could travel to more US states than previously thought, she said. The current Zika outbreak began almost a year ago in Brazil. It has been linked to thousands of birth defects in the Americas. "Most of what we've learned is not reassuring," said Dr Schuchat at White House briefing on Monday. "Everything we know about this virus seems to be scarier than we initially thought."

Earlier this year, US President Obama asked the US Congress for $1.8bn (£1.25bn) in emergency funding to combat the virus. In the meantime it has been using money totalling $589m left over from the Ebola virus fund. That was a temporary stopgap and inadequate to get the job done, said Dr Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health. The US now needs more money to fight the mosquitoes and to fund better research into vaccines and treatments, he said. "When the president asked for $1.9 billion, we needed $1.9 billion."

Without want to be alarmist, he said there had been recent discoveries about how destructive Zika appeared to be to foetal brains. There were also reports of rare neurologic problems in adults, he said. The CDC announced that Puerto Rico is to receive $3.9m in emergency Zika funding as the number of cases there doubles every week. In February, the first US case of locally transmitted Zika was reported in Dallas, Texas - spread through sexual contact, not a mosquito bite.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-36020165
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scarlet witch · Apr 12, 2016

Yes the dilemma, to spray DDT or not, I was in South Africa in December, the kids and I got extremely ill from Malarone and had to stop taking it, we were in the Kruger National Park and found out they spray every 2 months, although really relieved about our own reduced risk to Malaria I was conflicted re the health effects of DDT on the local community. I believe the same choices are going to have to be made in regards to Zika

The scientists reported that DDT may have a variety of human health effects, including reduced fertility, genital birth defects, breast cancer, diabetes and damage to developing brains. Its metabolite, DDE, can block male hormones.

"Based on recent studies, we conclude that humans are exposed to DDT and DDE, that indoor residual spraying can result in substantial exposure and that DDT may pose a risk for human populations," the scientists wrote in their consensus statement, published online today in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

"We are concerned about the health of children and adults given the persistence of DDT and its active metabolites in the environment and in the body, and we are particularly concerned about the potential effects of continued DDT use on future generations."

In 2007, at least 3,950 tons of DDT were sprayed for mosquito control in Africa and Asia, according to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme.

"The volume is increasing slowly," said Hindrik Bouwman, a professor in the School of Environmental Sciences and Development at North-West University in Potchesfstroom, South Africa, who also served on the panel.

In South Africa, about 60 to 80 grams is sprayed in each household per year, Bouwman said.

Brenda Eskenazi, a University of California at Berkeley School of Public Health professor and lead author of the consensus statement, is concerned because the health of people inside the homes is not being monitored.

A 2007 study on male fertility is the only published research so far. Conducted in Limpopo, South Africa by de Jager and his colleagues, the study found men in the sprayed homes had extremely high levels of DDT in their blood and that their semen volume and sperm counts were low.

"Clearly, more research is neededbut in the meantime, DDT should really be the last resort against malaria, rather than the first line of defense," Eskenazi said.

The pesticide accumulates in body tissues, particularly breast milk, and lingers in the environment for decades.
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http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ddt-use-to-combat-malaria/

waltky · Apr 19, 2016

Global warming might aid spread of Zika...

Climate change might aid spread of Zika
Wed, Apr 20, 2016 - As Europe and the US brace for the likely arrival of the Zika virus from Latin America this summer, experts warn global warming might accelerate the spread of mosquito-borne disease.

Rising temperatures are a threat in more ways than one, they cautioned ahead of a major gathering of Zika researchers in Paris next week. Climate change has contributed to the expansion of the range of mosquitoes, said Moritz Kraemer, an infectious diseases specialist at Oxford University in England.

Kraemer was the lead author of a study mapping last years habitats of two warm-weather species both of which have gained ground in recent decades known to infect humans with several viruses. Since 2014, Aedes aegypti, known as the yellow fever mosquito, has been the main carrier of Zika across Brazil, Colombia and other parts of Latin America, where it has infected several million people, according to the WHO. Most carriers of the virus show no symptoms. However, Zika has also caused a sharp increase in cases of microcephaly, a devastating condition that shrivels foetal brains. It is also linked to a rare neurological disorder in adults.

The second species, Aedes albopictus, is similarly found along the worlds tropical belt, but unlike aegypti, it has also colonized about 20 nations in southern Europe since the early 1990s. In the northern hemisphere, mosquitoes are most active during summer months, disappearing in winter. In the warm, moist tropics, they thrive year-round. Over the past decade, the newly arrived albopictus has caused small outbreaks in southern Europe of dengue and chikungunya viral diseases that provoke high fever, headaches, muscular pain and, in rare cases, death.

Laboratory tests have shown that albopictus is also in the jargon of mosquito experts competent to carry Zika, and could drive its spread in Europe. The threat we are facing is that we will see the Zika virus in Europe next summer, said Anna-Bella Failloux, a virologist at the Institut Pasteur, which is to co-host the April 25 and 26 meeting. Any outbreaks would likely remain localized, she said, but the fear of microcephaly looms large. In the southern US, where aegypti is common, the threat is even more immediate.

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waltky · Apr 25, 2016

13,000 pregnant women with zika virus in Colombia...

Cases of Zika virus in Colombia total almost 72,000
Mon, Apr 25, 2016 - Nearly 72,000 cases of Zika have been reported in Colombia since October last year, with almost 13,000 occurring in pregnant women, although the country is going through a decline in outbreaks, health authorities said on Saturday.

Additionally, four cases of microcephaly, the rare, but irreversible condition in which babies are born with small heads and damaged brains, have been associated with the virus in the country, Colombias National Health Institute reported.

MICROCEPHALY RARE

Another 22 cases of potential microcephaly are under investigation, according to the institute, which estimated that about 300 instances of cranial malformation are likely in babies by September, a smaller number than initially predicted. Earlier this month, US health authorities confirmed that Zika causes microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects, after months of debate and uncertainty. Since the beginning of the epidemic in October last year, a total of 3,292 cases have been confirmed in Colombia by laboratories and 68,660 suspected cases have been documented. In pregnant women, a total of 1,703 cases have been confirmed, while another 11,099 cases have been noted by health officials.

PRECIPITOUS DROP

While Colombia had originally estimated the number of Zika cases could triple through the end of June, the government said that the epidemic was dropping precipitously for the time, and faster than predicted. From April 10 to 16, a total of 3,322 suspected Zika cases were reported, but none were confirmed by a laboratory, according to the latest bulletin from the institute. Mosquito-borne Zika is present in 130 countries and recent studies have shown it can also be transmitted sexually between human carriers.

Since the beginning of the epidemic in October, a total of 462 cases of neurological disorders have arisen in Colombia with possible ties to Zika. Of these, 304 are cases of Guillain-Barre, a rare condition suspected of being linked to Zika, in which the bodys immune system attacks a part of the nervous system that controls muscle strength. There are currently no vaccines or treatments for Zika. According to the WHO, at least a dozen laboratories and government agencies around the world are working on a vaccine, but bringing it to market could take years.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/04/25/2003644805
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waltky · May 4, 2016

Zika gonna be a pandemic...

Zika Outbreaks Expected in Large Portion of Americas
May 03, 2016 | WASHINGTON Some 500 million people in the Americas and the Caribbean are at risk of getting the Zika virus. So far, 37 countries and territories are reporting transmission of the virus. Peru is the latest country to report transmission. The virus is also in Saint-Barthélemy, a French territory in the Caribbean. The virus itself is largely inconsequential, but doctors and medical scientists involved in public health say getting across the message that a mild disease could be devastating to unborn babies is challenging.

Zika causes microcephaly, a birth defect where the head and brain are abnormally small, but as of yet, researchers don't know what percentage of pregnant women who get the virus end up delivering babies with microcephaly. One study shows a one percent risk. Another small study puts the risk at 29 percent. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said no one knows the true risk. A much larger study is now being conducted but until the results are in, the best answer is, "We don't know," Fauci said.

So far, most cases of microcephaly have been reported in Brazil, but cases have also been reported in Colombia, Panama, Martinique and the United States. The Zika virus is also associated with a form of paralysis called Guillian-Barre syndrome. Seven countries have reported cases of Guillian-Barre which can be fatal. The only protection against this mosquito-bourne virus is not to get bitten or not to get pregnant, as women in some countries have been advised. The problem is the Aedes aegypti mosquito that carries the Zika virus is hard to contain. It prefers human blood to that of animals, and it likes to live indoors. It's also a day-time biter. In many parts of the Americas, birth control is not readily available, another complicating factor. The only answer lies in the development of a vaccine. One will be tested on humans by September, but it could still be at least three years before it becomes available.

Government fumigators prepare to spray homes for mosquitoes in Havana, Cuba

Meantime, helping children born with microcephaly is expensive. Some may need lifelong care. "What we see now is the tip of the iceberg," said Dr. Sylvain Aldighieri, the Zika Incident Manager for the Pan American Health Organization. Aldighieri added that these children, even those without microcephaly but whose mothers had Zika while pregnant, will have to be followed for a period of two to four years in order to understand the extent of the damage. Microcephaly can cause blindness, physical deformities beyond small heads, and can affect the intellect.

Aldighieri and Fauci spoke at a press conference at the Pan American Health Organization's headquarters in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Congress has not yet approved $1.9 billion in emergency funding that President Obama requested in February. Fauci said the funding "is absolutely essential." He said he had to move money from programs on malaria, influenza and tuberculosis to provide funds for Zika research. Without the additional funds, "We cannot do the job that needs to be done." he said. Fauci expects the virus to be transmitted in the U.S., but he also said Zika is likely to be contained such as similar viruses like dengue and chikungunya have been contained in the past.

http://www.voanews.com/content/zika-outbreaks-expected-in-large-portion-of-americas/3314604.html
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waltky · May 10, 2016

Cheaper, Paper-based test for zika developed...

Researchers Develop Cheaper, Paper-based Zika Test
May 10, 2016 - Some 57 countries and territories are now reporting cases of people being infected, most by mosquitoes that can carry the Zika virus

A team of researchers based at Harvard University say they have developed a testing method that could quickly diagnose Zika virus, and do so basically anywhere in the world. The Zika outbreak first hit the Western Hemisphere a year ago with reports of infections in Brazil. Some 57 countries and territories are now reporting cases of people being infected, most by mosquitoes that can carry the Zika virus. Several countries also have reported cases that appear to have spread through sexual contact. The World Health Organization says there is scientific consensus that Zika is a cause of both the birth defect microcephaly in infants and the nervous system disorder Guillain-Barre syndrome. Most of the affected countries are in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the WHO says if the pattern spreads elsewhere the world faces a severe public health crisis.

Dallas County Mosquito Lab microbiologist Spencer Lockwood sorts mosquitoes collected in a trap in Hutchins, Texas, that had been set up near the location of a confirmed Zika virus infection

Building on work they did to develop a screening method for Ebola, the researchers led by synthetic biologist James Collins came up with a way to screen blood, urine or saliva for Zika virus. In a paper published in the journal Cell, they said previous techniques such as looking for antibodies in body fluids are limited because people could have antibodies from similar viruses present in the region such as Dengue. Other methods are expensive and require equipment that is not readily available in many areas. Their method uses paper cards about the size of a human hand that contain freeze-dried biomolecular components. Because the concentration of Zika virus in the blood is very low, the researchers first amplify the sample through a process that triggers the virus to multiply. The amplified sample is then applied to the paper card, and if Zika is present, the card changes color.

Samples from any positive test can then be applied to another card that is set up to determine which of the many strains of Zika virus is present. The testing can produce a result in as little as 30 minutes with the change in color easily visible to the naked eye. An even faster result can be achieved by placing the card in a special reader, the researchers say. "The freeze-dried molecular components remain stable at room temperature, allowing for easy storage and distribution in global settings," the paper says.

Five-month-old Laura undergoes a medical test at the University of Sao Paulo (USP) in Sao Paulo, Brazil

In addition to its potential application in a variety of settings, the researchers say their method is also a lot cheaper than others used to detect Zika. "We are currently pursuing multiple opportunities to secure private and public funding in order to commercialize this diagnostic system and make it available to the world's health responders," Collins said. There is no vaccine for Zika. The WHO says developers in the U.S., France, Brazil, India and Austria are currently working on 23 different projects in order to develop one. The agency expects some of them to be at the stage of clinical trials by the end of the year, but that a fully tested vaccine may not be available for several years. In the meantime, efforts to halt the virus are focused on controlling the mosquitoes that carry it. The WHO says half of the world's population lives in areas where the Aedes aegypti mosquito does too.

http://www.voanews.com/content/researchers-develop-cheaper-paper-based-zika-test/3322963.html
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waltky · May 16, 2016

Senate to consider more money to fight zika...

US Weighs More Zika Funding
May 16, 2016 - The U.S. Congress is set this week to consider several measures to fund research into a vaccine for the deadly Zika mosquito virus and a plan to control mosquitoes that spread the disease.

The question remains, however, how much lawmakers are willing to spend to curb the virus that can cause the birth defect microcephaly, which leaves babies with small heads and deformed brains, and impairs growth. Three months ago, President Barack Obama proposed a $1.9 billion plan to develop a vaccine, control the mosquitoes and help other countries fight the virus. But his Republican opponents in Congress said that was too costly and balked at approving it. Republicans in the House of Representatives offered a $622 million proposal Monday for vaccine development and international mosquito control.

The Senate is planning to start voting Tuesday on Obama's plan, a competing Republican alternative and a compromise measure costing $1.1 billion. Even if these measures clear the two chambers, the outlines for a final accord are not clear. To date, there have been more than 500 cases of Zika contamination in the United States, all of which so far have been associated with overseas travel. Last week, Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory in the Caribbean Sea, reported its first case of Zika-borne microcephaly.

http://www.voanews.com/content/us-weighs-more-zika-funding/3332685.html
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waltky · May 21, 2016

Brazil Zika virus confirmed in Africa...

Zika virus strain 'imported from the Americas' to Africa
Fri, 20 May 2016 - The Zika virus strain responsible for the outbreaks in Brazil has been detected in Africa for the first time, the World Health Organization says.

The WHO said it was concerned that the latest strain was spreading and was "on the doorstep of Africa". It is currently circulating in Cape Verde, an archipelago off the north west coast of Africa. Zika has been linked to neurological disorders including babies being born with small brains. Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said: "This information will help African countries to re-evaluate their level of risk and adapt and increase their levels of preparedness."

Protection

She said African countries should raise awareness among pregnant women of the complications with the Zika virus and encourage people to protect themselves against mosquito bites and sexual transmission. But she said she would not recommend strict travel restrictions to try to stop the spread of the disease. There have been more than 7,000 suspected cases of Zika in Cape Verde, with 180 pregnant women thought to have been infected. The WHO says three babies have been born brain damaged with microcephaly.

Until the virus was sequenced by scientists in Senegal, it was not certain if the outbreak in Cape Verde was caused by the African or Asian type, which has hit Brazil and other Latin American countries. Tests show that this is the Asian strain - the same as the one blamed for birth abnormalities in Brazil. There have been around 1,300 confirmed cases of microcephaly - babies born with small brains - in Brazil, with thousands more under investigation.

A UK researcher said the Zika virus has been circulating at a low level in African countries for more than 50 years, so some of the population may already be immune. "It is likely that the South American, Caribbean and Polynesian populations had no prior immunity to the virus, so a high proportion of people who are bitten by infected mosquitos caught the disease," said Dr Anna Checkley, of the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, University College London Hospitals.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-36343006
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waltky · May 25, 2016

Zika may cause baby eye problems...

Concern Zika causes baby eye problems
Wed, 25 May 2016 - Scientists studying the Zika outbreak in Brazil are becoming increasingly concerned the virus may cause eye damage in babies.

Stanford University researchers found abnormal bleeding and lesions in the eyes of three infant boys whose mothers had caught Zika while pregnant. They want any babies known to be affected by Zika to have eye checks. The journal of Ophthalmology findings follow another recent study that saw similar eye problems in Zika babies. The disease is already known to cause a serious baby brain defect called microcephaly.

What is not clear is whether eye problems might be a complication of this rather than the Zika infection itself. Either is possible. All of the three infants the researchers from Stanford and the University of Sao Paulo examined also had microcephaly. The eye damage they found in the baby boys was to the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye, called the retina. There was abnormal blood vessel growth, bleeding and torpedo-shaped lesions.

Researcher Dr Darius Moshfeghi said the next step was to determine the root cause - Zika or microcephaly - to better understand which infants would need eye checks. "To begin with it's probably sensible just to screen babies with microcephaly," he said. "But if it turns out that Zika can cause these eye problems independently, then we would need to screen all infants of infected mothers."

He said some of the eye abnormalities would resolve or be treatable, but others could cause lasting, irreversible damage to vision. With no vaccine or treatment, pregnant women have been advised to cover up to protect themselves against the biting mosquitoes that carry Zika. More than 60 countries and territories now have continuing Zika transmission.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-36366946
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scarlet witch · May 27, 2016

I came across this the other day, an Aussie biotech co Biotron developed two compounds effective against Zika

Two compounds made by Australian biotech Biotron have been found effective against the zika virus.

Its shares jumped 15.6% to $0.074 on the news.

The company says several compounds were sent to an independent US facility for screening against the virus.

One compound showed activity in the first round of screening and this result has been confirmed in repeat tests. In a subsequent round of screening, a second compound was shown to inhibit replication of Zika virus.
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waltky · Jun 17, 2016

Granny got her old poof can o' DDT she zaps mosquitoes dat come `round here with...

Mosquito Control Expert: Congress Should Ease Pesticide Regulation to Target Pesticide Resistant, Zika-Carrying Mosquitoes
June 16, 2016 | – T. Wayne Gale, president-elect of the American Mosquito Control Association and executive director of the Lee County Mosquito Control District in Florida, told Congress Wednesday that there may be a pesticide resistance issue in Zika-carrying mosquitoes.

Gale told Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) in a Capitol Hill briefing that addressed the possible spread of the Zika virus in Florida that an adequate response to the threat of the Zika virus “amounts to having personnel, pesticides, and equipment.” “Do we have that?” Hastings asked. “No, not statewide,” Gale said, adding “that right now is the focus of the money that is being provided by the health department in Florida is for personnel, pesticides, and equipment.” “These mosquitoes are very difficult to control, and we’re finding right now that we might have a resistance issue to the pesticides we use,” he later added. “There’s research going on right now to determine the extent of that.”

Gale told CNSNews.com that any legislation to streamline the approval process for pesticides “and make it less expensive, or at least provide some funding to help move new public health pesticides through, would be an important step in trying to get new materials and deal with the resistance issue.” CNSNews.com asked Gale what pesticides have proven effective in combatting the Aedes Aegypti and the Aedes Albopictus, Zika-carrying mosquitoes, and about Florida’s plan in dealing with pesticide resistance with the tools they have available. “Right now, we have two basic classes of compounds. What we call OPs or Organophosphates, Naled and Malathion, are probably the two primary that are used in public health pest control, and then the rest, most of the rest of the adult control materials are Synthetic Pyrethroids,” Gale explained. “That’s where we’re seeing - you know, spotty resistance, localized resistance in a lot of areas - and so there aren’t a whole lot of alternatives, so it’s a difficult problem.”

CNSNews.com asked Gale about the Zika Vector Control Act, formerly the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act, which did not move forward when it was brought up for a vote in the House in May. The legislation was backed by the American Mosquito Control Association and aimed to ease regulation on pesticide development to combat Zika carrying mosquitoes. “The development process and the registration process for pesticides is very expensive, and it’s the federal government’s process that makes it so,” Gale said, “and so any legislation to kind of streamline that process and make it less expensive or at least provide some funding to help move new public health pesticides through would be an important step in trying to get new materials and deal with the resistance issue.”

Gale also told CNSNews.com that to his knowledge, Florida’s Department of Health only had about $400,000 to distribute to mosquito control efforts. “There’s funding that’s coming to the states from CDC. It’s through what they call ELC grants, which is Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Grants, and that money comes to the state health department, and the state health department distributes that money,” he explained.

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article...gress-should-ease-pesticide-regulation-target
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Deckel · Jun 17, 2016

waltky said: ↑

American Mosquito Control Association ]
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This struck me as such an odd thing I looked them up. Their website, appropriately enough mosquito.org

waltky · Jun 28, 2016

Effective in mouse tests...

Promising Vaccines Developed Against Zika Virus
June 28, 2016 - In February, the World Health Organization declared the Zika epidemic a global public health emergency. Since then, drugmakers have been working to create vaccines that could protect against it. Two have proven extremely effective in mouse experiments.

One of the drugs is a so-called DNA vaccine, engineered from a single Zika viral protein. The other is a purified inactivated, or killed, virus — the same technology used to make the original polio vaccine. Dan Barouch, a professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard University and an infectious diseases specialist, says both vaccines stimulate the production of immune system antibodies that protect mice from infection by the Zika virus. "And the protection was striking. The protection was complete,” he said. “All of the mice that received the vaccine showed no virus in the bloodstream after challenge, whereas all the mice that did not receive the vaccines became infected and had high levels of virus in the bloodstream. One of the important points is that the protection could be achieved by a single immunization." Researchers describe their work in the journal Nature.

Material to prevent Zika infection by mosquitoes are displayed at the 69th World Health Assembly at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland

Brazil has been particularly hard hit by Zika. Many pregnant women who are infected with the virus give birth to babies with a congenital defect called microcephaly, which causes an abnormally small head. The children suffer from a host of problems, including intellectual disability, seizures and motor problems. The virus also has been implicated in Guillain-Barre syndrome, a paralytic illness that mostly strikes adults. Nelson Michael, director of the military HIV program at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Maryland, is co-author of the Nature article.

Pediatrician Alexia Harrist from the United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) takes a picture of 3-month-old Shayde Henrique who was born with microcephaly, after examining him in Joao Pessoa, Brazil

He says the vaccines are in production now, and researchers hope to begin human trials in October. "I would say, at this point, no one is really in a position to say if it's going to jump ahead of expanded safety studies. But I can tell you it's going to move very quickly," he said. While pregnant women are most at risk from Zika, Michael says the initial trials will begin with healthy women who could become pregnant. If enough people are vaccinated, he added, that could extend protection to pregnant women, who might not need the vaccine. Both vaccines could be available as early as next year.

http://www.voanews.com/content/promising-vaccines-developed-against-zika-virus/3396105.html
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See also:

US Senate Fails to Pass $1.1B in Funding to Fight Zika
June 28, 2016 — Fight over abortion-provider Planned Parenthood delays congressional action on Zika for at least two weeks[/b]

With mosquito season well underway in the United States, the U.S. Senate blocked new funds to fight the Zika virus Tuesday, prompting furious partisan finger-pointing in the oft-gridlocked chamber. After months of prodding majority Republicans to act on Zika, Democrats banded together to defeat $1.1 billion in emergency funding. The measure needed three-fifths backing to advance, but it received just 52 votes in the 100-member Senate. “If there was ever a bill designed to fail, it’s what the Republicans put together on Zika,” said New York Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer. “This country is on the verge of a public health crisis,” said Republican John Cornyn of Texas. “We know they (mosquitos) are coming, and we need to act with dispatch.”

Democrats objected to cost offsets that Republicans inserted into the legislation, including cuts to Planned Parenthood, a non-profit women’s health care organization and the nation’s largest provider of abortions. “It’s four months late, it’s $800 billion short, and it cannibalizes funding from other important health priorities,” said Schumer. Republicans noted that Senate Democrats already agreed to the $1.1-billion funding level, a significant reduction from the $1.9 billion requested by the Obama administration earlier this year. Furthermore, Republicans argued the bill compensates for cuts to Planned Parenthood by boosting funds to community health centers that do not perform abortions. “This legislation is the last chance we have to get Zika-control funding to the president’s desk for weeks,” said Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. "We should pass it to protect those especially at risk, like pregnant women.”

Material to prevent Zika infection by mosquitoes are displayed at the 69th World Health Assembly at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland

The mosquito-borne Zika virus is blamed for devastating birth defects. Given that the virus can be transmitted sexually, cuts to family planning providers defy logic, according to Democrats. “We know that [Zika] poses the biggest danger to pregnant women and their unborn children, many of whom rely on Planned Parenthood,” Schumer said. “But Republicans can’t miss a chance to whack [cut funds to] Planned Parenthood, even if their services are exactly what can help prevent the spread of this debilitating virus.” Anti-abortion Republicans have long sought to eliminate federal funding to Planned Parenthood, often by inserting measures into critical legislation. Democrats have fought back using the filibuster, a procedural blocking maneuver in the Senate, as well as President Barack Obama's veto authority. Zika funding has had a convoluted legislative path on Capitol Hill. An original Senate bill, approved with bipartisan support, provided $1.1 billion with no budgetary offsets. It conflicted with a House version that funded the effort at a much lower level. A conference between the two Republican-led chambers produced the measure that was blocked Tuesday in the Senate.

The Obama administration first requested Zika funding in February, and it has shifted unspent revenues from the fight against Ebola while waiting for Congress to act. The House of Representatives adjourned last week, and neither chamber will be in session next week in observance of the July 4 Independence Day holiday. When lawmakers return, they will have only a few weeks to act on Zika before the annual August recess. “When we get back [July 11], we’ll address this matter again, and hopefully respond as our constituents all across America are asking us to respond,” McConnell said. Democrat Bill Nelson of Florida, a state particularly at risk for Zika, expressed disbelief over Congress’ inability to approve emergency funds. “If it’s an earthquake, a flood, a wildfire, a hurricane – we have always stepped forth [with funds],” Nelson said. “And if you don’t believe that this Zika crisis is an emergency, well just wait.”

http://www.voanews.com/content/zika-funding-fails-in-us-senate/3395626.html
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waltky · Jun 30, 2016

Zika vaccine could be available next year...

Vaccines to combat Zika Virus could be available by early next year
Wednesday 29th June, 2016 - In February, the World Health Organization declared the Zika epidemic a global public health emergency. Since then, drugmakers have been working to create vaccines that could protect against it.

Two have proven extremely effective in mouse experiments. One of the drugs is a so-called DNA vaccine, engineered from a single Zika viral protein. The other is a purified inactivated, or killed, virus - the same technology used to make the original polio vaccine.

Dan Barouch, a professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard University and an infectious diseases specialist, says both vaccines stimulate the production of immune system antibodies that protect mice from infection by the Zika virus. "And the protection was striking. The protection was complete," he said. "All of the mice that received the vaccine showed no virus in the bloodstream after challenge, whereas all the mice that did not receive the vaccines became infected and had high levels of virus in the bloodstream. One of the important points is that the protection could be achieved by a single immunization."

Researchers describe their work in the journal Nature.

Brazil has been particularly hard hit by Zika. Many pregnant women who are infected with the virus give birth to babies with a congenital defect called microcephaly, which causes an abnormally small head. The children suffer from a host of problems, including intellectual disability, seizures and motor problems. The virus also has been implicated in Guillain-Barre syndrome, a paralytic illness that mostly strikes adults.

Nelson Michael, director of the military HIV program at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Maryland, is co-author of the Nature article. He says the vaccines are in production now, and researchers hope to begin human trials in October. "I would say, at this point, no one is really in a position to say if it's going to jump ahead of expanded safety studies. But I can tell you it's going to move very quickly," he said.

While pregnant women are most at risk from Zika, Michael says the initial trials will begin with healthy women who could become pregnant. If enough people are vaccinated, he added, that could extend protection to pregnant women, who might not need the vaccine. Both vaccines could be available as early as next year.

http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/...a-virus-could-be-available-by-early-next-year
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