No Treatment Or Vaccine For The Zika Virus - 1781 Words

Currently there is no treatment or vaccine for the Zika virus but there are antibiotics available to treat a range of bacterial infections. (WHO, 2016) The only way to prevent the dangerous complications is to avoid contracting the virus. The main prevention is to avoid mosquito bites since it is mosquito borne, especially for travelers. Some prevention methods include staying inside, wearing long sleeves and using insecticide. Many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean where Zika has been locally transmitted have restrictive abortion policies, and contraceptives in these areas are often hard to obtain. (WHO, 2016) So the only way to prevent the virus would be to avoid mosquitoes. US health officials are worried that the†¦show more content†¦Their results show that meteorological conditions are largely unsuitable for Aedes aegypt over the U.S during the winter from December to March, except in southern Florida and southern Texas were warm conditions where the mosquitoes can live year-round. Meteorological conditions are more suitable for Aedes aegypti across all fifty cities studied over the summer from July to September. Cities in Southern Florida and Southern Texas indicate the highest mosquito abundances and a strong potential for travel related viruses. Also higher poverty rates in cities along with the Mexico border may be associated with factors that increase human exposure to Aedes aegypti. The researchers aim is to look ahead at the summer months and help public health officials prepare for potential Zika outbreaks. The virus is not yet circulating in the local mosquito population yet. (Monaghan et al., 2016). The only cases are from t ravel and sexual transmission. According to the CDC (2016), â€Å"For local transmission to occur the Zika virus would have to be introduced by infected travelers or infected mosquitoes and become sustain in local Aedes mosquito populations.† Generally to summarize their study, cities with the highest levels of travel, the highest numbers of mosquitoes in peak summer months, and those that are in the climate range in which the mosquitoes thrive are the most at risk. The study does also note there s a chance, due to