Effects of climate change on the spread of zika virus: a public health threat

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hina Asad ◽  
David O. Carpenter
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
South America ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Human Disease ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Viral Disease ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Public Health Threat ◽  
Vector Borne

Abstract Zika is a vector-borne viral disease transmitted to humans primarily by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The increased climate instability has contributed to the emergence of infections carried by mosquitoes like dengue, chikungunya and zika. While infection with the zika virus is not new, the recent epidemic of microcephaly in Brazil and other countries in South America resulting from the infection of pregnant women with the zika virus raise a number of serious public health concerns. These include the question of how climate change affects the range of zika vectors, what can we do to shorten the length of mosquito season, how and why the symptoms of zika infection have changed and what can be done to reduce the burden of human disease from this infection? Another important question that needs to be answered is what are the factors that caused the zika virus to leave the non-human primates and/or other mammals and invade the human population?

scholarly journals Zika virus: A newly emergent vector-borne public health threat in the Americas

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sujit Pujhari ◽  
Jason L. Rasgon
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Birth Defects ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Focused Attention ◽  
New Disease ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Transmission Cycle ◽  
Public Health Threat ◽  
Vector Borne

Zika virus is a newly emergent mosquito-borne flavivirus. Once almost ignored epidemiologically, recent major outbreaks and links to neurological birth defects have focused attention on this neglected pathogen. We review the discovery, biology and symptomatology of Zika virus, what is known and not known about the mosquitoes that transmit the virus, conspiracy theories currently hampering control efforts, and potential avenues of Zika control. It is likely that Zika virus is here to stay in the Americas, so a thorough understanding of the complete epidemiological transmission cycle and potential effects on the human population will be critical for managing this new disease in the coming years.

scholarly journals Zika virus: A newly emergent vector-borne public health threat in the Americas

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sujit Pujhari ◽  
Jason L. Rasgon
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Birth Defects ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Focused Attention ◽  
New Disease ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Transmission Cycle ◽  
Public Health Threat ◽  
Vector Borne

Zika virus is a newly emergent mosquito-borne flavivirus. Once almost ignored epidemiologically, recent major outbreaks and links to neurological birth defects have focused attention on this neglected pathogen. We review the discovery, biology and symptomatology of Zika virus, what is known and not known about the mosquitoes that transmit the virus, conspiracy theories currently hampering control efforts, and potential avenues of Zika control. It is likely that Zika virus is here to stay in the Americas, so a thorough understanding of the complete epidemiological transmission cycle and potential effects on the human population will be critical for managing this new disease in the coming years.

scholarly journals Concern and Attitudes Toward Zika Virus in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic: A Cross-Sectional Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Gregory Black ◽  
Eric Hasenkamp ◽  
Nicholas Johnson ◽  
Rosanna Ianiro ◽  
Ricardo Izurieta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Public Health Education ◽  
Medical Provider ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Contraception Use ◽  
Vector Borne

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: The Zika virus, a member of the flavivirus genus, is an emerging threat to many tropical regions of the world. This study was designed to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes and concern in regards to the Zika virus in the community of Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic, with the hopes of guiding future efforts toward public education and prevention of future public health threats. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the rural communities of Jarabacoa during October 2016 and October 2017. Individuals completed a 14-point survey evaluating: level of concern towards Zika (1=no concern, 3=neutral, 5=extremely concerned), knowledge level of the disease, use of personal protection against the virus, how people initially heard about the disease and contraception use. RESULTS: Overall, women were more concerned than men about contracting the virus (p<.001, CI -2.510, -0.826). Of the respondents (N=138), 66% learned about Zika from the TV/news and 24.6% from their medical provider. 5% knew Zika was contracted from blood and 2% from pregnancy, and only 17% of respondents knew that it was contracted through sex. For protection from Zika, only 8% used condoms. Of the women trying to get pregnant, none knew Zika could be transmitted through sex. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that women were more concerned about the Zika virus than men and that knowledge about the virus was limited. In general, people are protecting themselves against vector borne transmission but not non-vector borne modes of transmission such as sexual intercourse. Also, public health education is lacking. Further studies are needed with more male participants, focus on contraception and social media’s effect on public health education.

scholarly journals Leishmaniasis and Climate Change—Case Study: Argentina

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar Daniel Salomón ◽  
María Gabriela Quintana ◽  
Andrea Verónica Mastrángelo ◽  
María Soledad Fernández
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Scale Models ◽  
Vector Borne

Vector-borne diseases closely associated with the environment, such as leishmaniases, have been a usual argument about the deleterious impact of climate change on public health. From the biological point of view interaction of different variables has different and even conflicting effects on the survival of vectors and the probability transmission of pathogens. The results on ecoepidemiology of leishmaniasis in Argentina related to climate variables at different scales of space and time are presented. These studies showed that the changes in transmission due to change or increase in frequency and intensity of climatic instability were expressed through changes in the probability of vector-human reservoir effective contacts. These changes of contact in turn are modulated by both direct effects on the biology and ecology of the organisms involved, as by perceptions and changes in the behavior of the human communities at risk. Therefore, from the perspective of public health and state policy, and taking into account the current nonlinear increased velocity of climate change, we concluded that discussing the uncertainties of large-scale models will have lower impact than to develop-validate mitigation strategies to be operative at local level, and compatibles with sustainable development, conservation biodiversity, and respect for cultural diversity.

scholarly journals Climate change and vector-borne diseases: what are the implications for public health research and policy?

2015 ◽  
Vol 370 (1665) ◽  
pp. 20130552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum ◽  
Lucien Manga ◽  
Magaran Bagayoko ◽  
Johannes Sommerfeld
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Political Support ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Determinants ◽  
Financial Investment ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Disease Rates ◽  
The World ◽  
Vector Borne

Vector-borne diseases continue to contribute significantly to the global burden of disease, and cause epidemics that disrupt health security and cause wider socioeconomic impacts around the world. All are sensitive in different ways to weather and climate conditions, so that the ongoing trends of increasing temperature and more variable weather threaten to undermine recent global progress against these diseases. Here, we review the current state of the global public health effort to address this challenge, and outline related initiatives by the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners. Much of the debate to date has centred on attribution of past changes in disease rates to climate change, and the use of scenario-based models to project future changes in risk for specific diseases. While these can give useful indications, the unavoidable uncertainty in such analyses, and contingency on other socioeconomic and public health determinants in the past or future, limit their utility as decision-support tools. For operational health agencies, the most pressing need is the strengthening of current disease control efforts to bring down current disease rates and manage short-term climate risks, which will, in turn, increase resilience to long-term climate change. The WHO and partner agencies are working through a range of programmes to (i) ensure political support and financial investment in preventive and curative interventions to bring down current disease burdens; (ii) promote a comprehensive approach to climate risk management; (iii) support applied research, through definition of global and regional research agendas, and targeted research initiatives on priority diseases and population groups.

scholarly journals Zika en Panamá y Latinoamérica: Aspectos clínicos y moleculares de una problemática emergente

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge David Mendez-Rios ◽  
Sandra López-Vergès ◽  
José Suarez ◽  
Brechla Moreno ◽  
Claude Vergès de López ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Vector Control ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Viral Disease ◽  
Virus Vector ◽  
Hard Copy ◽  
Collective Effort ◽  
Virus Zika

<p>Resumen<br />El propósito de esta revisión es presentar al equipo de salud latinoamericano y de la región del caribe un panorama de la situación actual con el virus Zika (ZIKAV), y al mismo tiempo, proveer conocimiento clínica y molecular relevante para enfrentar este problema emergente. Esperamos que esta revisión tenga un impacto positivo en el diagnóstico, vigilancia, y tratamiento de esta enfermedad viral, especialmente en comunidades endémicas, como parte de un esfuerzo colectivo para enfrentar este virus. Este manuscrito será distribuido electrónicamente y físicamente como una iniciativa de salud pública y epidemiologica.<br /><br /><br />Abstract<br />The purpose of this review is to provide Latin America's and the region's healthcare professionals with an overview of the current situation related to Zika virus (ZIKAV), and at the same time, to provide relevant clinical and molecular knowledge against this emerging problem. We expect to have a positive impact in diagnostic, surveillance and treatment of this viral disease, specially in those endemic communities, as part of a collective effort against the virus. This review will be distributed as hard-copy and online as a public health and epidemiological initiative.</p><p> </p><p>Palabras claves:<br />ZIKAV, control de vector, brote, vigilancia epidemiológica, microcefalia<br /><br /><br />Keywords: <br />Zika virus, vector control, outbreak, survillance, microcephaly</p>

Exploring the Spread of Zika

2019 ◽  
pp. 678-702
Author(s):  
Oluwakemi Ola ◽  
Olha Buchel ◽  
Kamran Sedig
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Economic Growth ◽  
Adverse Impact ◽  
Visualization Tool ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Public Health Threat ◽  
Interactive Visualizations ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Visualization Tools

Vector-borne diseases pose a major public health threat. Combined, these diseases contribute significantly to illness and mortality worldwide and have an adverse impact on development and economic growth of nations. Public health stakeholders seeking to control and prevent these diseases are confronted with a myriad of challenges. Some of these difficulties are related to the nature of the data, the uncertainty of disease dynamics, and volatility of human-environment interactions. Visualization tools are capable of ameliorating some of these challenges. In this paper, the authors demonstrate how interactive visualizations can support stakeholders' decision-making tasks. In particular, they present a visualization tool they created that can support control efforts related to the recent Zika outbreak in Brazil.

NCBC Statement on the Zika Virus

2016 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 3-4
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
South America ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Human Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Marital Relations ◽  
High Profile

A suspected connection between the Zika virus and microcephaly, or abnormally small heads, in children who were in the womb when their mothers contracted the virus has raised public health alarms in South America, the United States, and elsewhere around the globe. Appropriate recommendations to safeguard the health of all persons, and particularly those most susceptible to any serious effects of the disease, are warranted. Zika is the most recent and high-profile instance of any number of diseases that might have deleterious effects on the unborn children whose mothers contract it while pregnant. In no way, however, would it justify a change in the Catholic Church’s consistent teachings on the sacredness and inviolability of human life and the dignity and beauty of the means of transmitting life through marital relations. Direct abortion and contraceptive acts are intrinsically immoral and contrary to these great goods, and no circumstances can justify either.

The Effect of Climate Change on Mosquito-Borne Diseases

2017 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peggy Deichstetter
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
West Nile Virus ◽  
Yellow Fever ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Chikungunya Virus ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Living Things ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Breeding Seasons

Global climate change will affect all living things on this planet. For many species, the change in their environment may mean extinction. However, there is one organism, the mosquito, that may benefit from changes in the climate. This paper addresses the possible effects of climate change on mosquitoes, including longer breeding seasons and increased hatch rates of populations. The enlarged population will cause mosquitoes to seek more territory, and the warmer climate will in turn make more territory available. If mosquitoes increase in population, there may be an amplification of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, Chikungunya virus, St. Louis encephalitis, West Nile virus, and the Zika virus. This trend of increased range because of climate change has already been observed in dengue fever. This information can be used as an engaging segue into teaching students about climate change and vector-borne disease.

Exploring the Spread of Zika

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-68
Author(s):  
Oluwakemi Ola ◽  
Olha Buchel ◽  
Kamran Sedig
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Adverse Impact ◽  
Visualization Tool ◽  
Disease Dynamics ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Public Health Threat ◽  
Interactive Visualizations ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Visualization Tools

Vector-borne diseases pose a major public health threat. Combined, these diseases contribute significantly to illness and mortality worldwide and have an adverse impact on development and economic growth of nations. Public health stakeholders seeking to control and prevent these diseases are confronted with a myriad of challenges. Some of these difficulties are related to the nature of the data, the uncertainty of disease dynamics, and volatility of human-environment interactions. Visualization tools are capable of ameliorating some of these challenges. In this paper, the authors demonstrate how interactive visualizations can support stakeholders' decision-making tasks. In particular, they present a visualization tool they created that can support control efforts related to the recent Zika outbreak in Brazil.

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