The Zika virus made its first appearance in the U.S. in Dallas County, Texas on Feb. 2, followed by two more cases in the same area. Prior to 2015, outbreaks have occurred in areas outside of the continental United States, such as Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. However, this disease has now spread to approximately 12 U.S. states.
It has been commonly known to be spread through mosquito bites, but recent studies show it can be sexually transmitted as well, though it is rare. The first known U.S. citizen, a Texan, who received it had not traveled
to an infected area. Instead, it was transmitted by a partner who had recently returned from Venezuela. This is the first known case of Zika in a “non-traveler” in the continental US.
According to Dr. Andrea Galusha of the Flower Mound Obstetrics and Gynecology Associates, Zika could eventually spread to the mosquitoes in the Denton County area. She says that right now, however, there is good surveillance of the mosquitoes and it helps keep the numbers down.
With spring so near, this outbreak has potential to affect Americans. Threats of the virus are delaying U.S. travelers from visiting Latin America and the Caribbean, even though airlines and cruise ships have yet to see a drop in bookings. Junior Elizabeth Connick, co-president of the MEDs Club, says that because of the virus, some families may be hesitant about where they travel for spring break.
“It’s going to interfere with a lot of people’s plans because they’re going to have to find things to do here versus going to other countries with the virus,” Connick said.
Galusha says that it is important for pregnant women who are traveling to be careful because Zika can severely affect babies, especially in the first trimester. She says that if the babies do get microcephaly, a disease linked with Zika, they will need long term health care.
Many scientists warn to take precautions after traveling to infected countries. The American Red Cross has also urged that blood donors returning from Zika-hit countries wait at least 28 days before donating blood. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised pregnant women to avoid travel to areas with an active outbreak of Zika.
It is reported that Zika won’t thrive in America as it is in other countries because people tend to live further away from each other and the climate is cooler. However, the World Health Organization scientists predicted that there could be 3-4 million cases in the coming year.
Connick says that if the virus did travel rapidly through the Denton County area, it would be up to the people to prevent it from spreading.
“It just depends on our response time and how far we are willing to take precautions,” Connick said.
President Obama has asked Congress for $1.8 billion in order to combat the virus through control programs, vaccine research, education and improving health. In fact, the CDC announced Zika as a “Level 1” status, which is the highest level of response made for critical emergencies. The CDC assigns the largest number of staff possible to work 24/7 in response to these crises. This is the fourth medical crisis to ever reach this level, after hurricane Katrina, H1N1, and Ebola.
As this virus continues to spread, many researchers and scientists around the country such as the Scripps Research Institute and Southern Research continue to search for a cure.
