Zika Virus Declared Global Health Emergency, but Threat in the United States is Still Negligible
Although the risk this winter for contracting the Zika Virus remains relatively low for pregnant women in the United States, the World Health Organization (WHO) this week declared Zika a global “public health emergency of international concern.” While that reference sounds frightening on the surface, the WHO declaration is intended less to be alarmist and more to coordinate funding and expertise among governments around the world to begin the long-term task of managing the epidemic. Any Zika outbreaks in the United States are projected to be both insignificant and localized.
Like the mosquito-borne Dengue virus, which remains rare in the United States, Zika is considered a disease most prevalent where there is poverty. Environmental conditions — such as an absence of safe running water, inadequate housing that lacks screens or air conditioning, and poor sanitation — contribute mightily to the spread of the virus. Unlike most varieties of mosquito that breed in larger pools of water, the Zika-transmitting Aedes mosquito thrives in tiny vessels of water (as small as a teaspoon) and moist areas around homes, such as discarded tires, flower pots, and yard debris. So in addition to wearing protective clothing and insect repellent, concerned individuals are encouraged to keep their yards clean and grass cut so standing water can evaporate.
On February 2, 2016, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed the first case of sexually transmitted Zika in Texas. The Zika-infected individual recently had traveled to Venezuela and returned infected by the virus. The second infected person was a sexual partner of the traveler but did not travel themselves.
Despite theories linking Zika to birth defects and paralyzing Guillain-Barre syndrome, it has been difficult to confirm that those connections can be attributed specifically to Zika. It’s also difficult to track Zika, because the majority of those infected experience no symptoms at all and never know they are sick. Those with mild symptoms rarely recognize them for anything other than a simple cold or flu (fever, rash, joint pain, pink eye, muscle pain, or headache). There is no readily available test for the Zika virus. Blood samples must be transported and tested in advanced laboratories at the CDC or come state health departments. About one in five infected people will get sick. No viable treatment for Zika has yet been identified, and a vaccine could be years away.
Ob Hospitalist Group will continue to follow this issue, consult with our hospitalist experts, and post updates as warranted. For additional information, visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/zika/.
