Zika Virus: A Case Study

First isolated from a rhesus monkey in Uganda, the Zika virus (ZIK V) did not pose a serious global threat until recent outbreaks in 2007 on Yap Island in Micronesia and the current outbreak which began in 2013 in the French Polynesia. And, although the virus is transmitted via infected mosquitoes, studies indicate that the disease potentially can be transmitted sexually (Musso, D., Roche, C., Robin, E., Nhan, T., Teissier, A., and

On Wednesday August 24 protestors showed their dismay at the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District plans to release genetically modified mosquitoes into Key Haven, Florida, a small town in Key West, to try to control the quickly spreading Zika virus. The article “In Florida Keys, Some Worry About ‘Science and Government’ More Than Zika” written by Lizzette Alvarez talks about how the people of Key West, Florida feel about becoming a “science experiment”.

One ongoing case that has evolved in the United States throughout the past couple of years is the Zika virus. The Chicago Tribune wrote “Commentary: To fight Zika, Deploy the National Guard” which was written on May 27, 2016 by ML Cavanaugh. According to http://www.mlcavanaugh.com, ML Cavanaugh is a United States Army strategist and has taught classes in the defense and strategic studies program. He was the youngest recipient of the “Order of Saint Gabriel the Archangel” according to mlcavanaugh.com.

Zika virus was discovered by scientists in the Zika rainforest in a remote part of Uganda in 1947, in the serum of an infected rheseus monkey. With five thousand two hundred thirty- four known cases of the infectious virus documented in the United States. There is currently no vaccination for the flu like virus. The chief concern of the healthcare administration is to continue to take preventive measures to prevent contracting the virus. Within the same flavivirus family

In this project women of childbearing age was largely the population of focus, with many social determinants of the health that made this already vulnerable population even more in need of assistance concerning possible Zika outbreaks, prenatal education, and family planning services. Social determinants of health may include a variety of non-medical variables such as socioeconomic status, education attainment, neighborhood factors, racial discrimination, access to resources, working environment, etc. (Braveman, Egerter, & Williams, 2011; Mendez, Hogan, & Culhane, 2013). Women of childbearing age in relation to Zika virus exposure risk may encounter institutionalized racism and various upstream determinants of health that may negatively impact their ability to obtain healthcare coverage, educational resources, and family planning services. The political trends in Texas towards defunding Planned Parenthood and not expanding Medicaid services has placed an enormous burden on the women of Texas who wish to plan or prevent pregnancy but do not have the financial means to do so (Darney, et al., 2017). In the wake of a possible endemic disease, such as Zika virus, the most vulnerable will be the most susceptible.

By getting the virus from a bite the mosquito must already be infected itself. There are studies currently happening trying to figure out how long exactly does the virus stay inside the semen and vaginal fluids of those who are infected, also being studied is how long it can be passed to their partners. Although the U.S. hasn't seen any cases of the disease being transmitted by blood transfusion it has been seen in other places in the world. An example would be the French Polynesian outbreak, around 2% of those donating blood tested positive for Zika however, in previous outbreaks the virus was also found. Just one case in the United States shows of someone getting ill through a laboratory yet, prior situations show four cases of someone getting the virus in a laboratory

The growing concern of the Zika outbreak that originated back in 1947 Uganda in monkeys and later crossed over to humans in 1952 has now reached several countries. These outbreaks are occurring in Brazil and reportedly more than 7,000 people have been infected from mosquito bites. On February 1, 2016 the World Health Organization declared the Zika a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. To combat the issue Louisville activated the “Zika Response Action Plan, which provides guidelines for preparation and response to the virus in the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness (LMPHW) jurisdiction” (ZIKA Response plan, 2016). The plan being used by Louisville demonstrates the prevention and mitigation being executed

2. When doing a media audit I felt that for the most part The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention media releases about Zika Virus were very informative, helpful, and timely. However, in January 2016 it was reported that The CDC rescheduled their advisory warning three times that day before finally giving their phone conference at 7p.m.(Washington Post, 2016). When the travel notice was released there was a lot of questions from the public. At this time The CDC didn’t have many answers as to what all was going on except that they found a connection between Zika Virus and fetuses , "What we know now is that fetuses can be infected with the virus. That's not new for infectious diseases, but it is new for this virus,”

My opinion concerning the Zika virus is one that is strongly built upon the principle that government aid and funding in regards to health care is necessary to ensure the safety of American citizens. A fatal virus such as this one that spreads through a country at an exponential rate is not a epidemic to be taken lightly. Nor is it an issue that should be dismissed simply because of libertarians believing that healthcare should be handled at a private level because of the sinister idea of a large scale imposition of government aid that would provide assistance to citizens that are weeks, or even days, away from dying. The two biggest political parties of the U.S. seem to understand that this issue is a pressing one, and that funding to combat

This article focuses on the outbreak of the Zika virus, which has recently begun spreading across the world with an emphasis on Latin American countries Brazil and Colombia. There are currently over 26,000 people who have been confirmed as infected with the virus in Colombia alone and this number is expected to rise dramatically to about 600,000 within the coming months considering the location and altitude of the countries and the frequency of their carrier mosquito. The virus has no vaccine yet; all prevention methods are focused on controlling the mosquitos spreading the disease by promoting proper sanitation regarding dirty water storage and accumulated trash. Among the people infected is 16-year-old Angie Paola Castro, one of 3,177 women

When people think of the word ‘epidemic’, they generally imagine a widespread disease that threatens humanity as a whole. While most of the hysteria associated with pandemics stem purely from fiction, it can be understandable why people always fear the worst. That is why when an outbreak of the Zika Virus was reported in the United States, an overall feeling of malaise set in. As of September 21, 2016, a total of 3,358 cases of the Zika Virus have been reported (“Center for Disease Control and Prevention”). Though the numbers are alarming, there is no need for a national quarantine or emergency evacuation. In reality, the Zika Virus is not as intimidating as society puts it out to be. The panic and confusion associated with

S., it is unlikely that there will be a major outbreak. Local vector-borne transmission of Zika has not been reported elsewhere in the United States, but cases of Zika have been reported in returning travelers (Zika virus, para. 2). Currently there has been one birth in which the newborn was infected with the Zika virus and diagnosed with microcephaly in Hawaii (Dahl, 2016, para. 4). According to Fox (2016), “Experts almost all agree that Zika is unlikely to spread much in the U.S., in part because the Aedes aegypti mosquito isn't common except in parts of the far south and Hawaii, and also because Americans mostly live indoors, with air conditioning and little chance for the mosquitoes to live and breed inside homes” (“Where's Zika Most Likely in the U.S.? The Answer May Surprise You” para.

Zika does not naturally occur in the UK. Zika outbreaks have been reported in the Pacific region, and the virus has now spread to South and Central America, the Caribbean and South East Asia.

5) Scientists recommend specific measures to avoid contracting the Zika virus. a) For everyone, insect repellant with DEET and protective clothing is recommended. b) The CDC now issues a level 2 travel alert warn people travelling to Zika infested regions (Schmidt, 163). c) The use of insecticide spraying and larvicides has proven effective in preventing and controlling the outbreak of the virus (Baden et al, 1559). 6) Conclusion – Scientists and medical personnel around the world are continuing to learn about the transmission, symptoms, and risks of the Zika virus.

This predictive model along with the big data infrastructure could be extremely useful to the real world. Hence, by using this artifact in the real-world, governments and the health care organizations can understand states and regions in the U.S.A that are at high risk in registering more number of Zika disease case counts. This identification results support heavily in the decision making process. Rather than concentrating on the entire nation, this predictive model results helps the organizations focus only on the few states that are at high risk of registering more number of Zika disease case counts. Hence, by focusing on few states spread of disease to the new states could be eliminated there by reducing the chances of disease being an outbreak. Moreover, by initiating the awareness campaigns, and starting good precaution measures governments can save a huge amount of money. Since network patterns played an important role in spreading the disease, therefore, flights incoming and outgoing from the high risk states could be stopped in spreading the disease to other states.