Gallup Poll Finds Few Americans Worried About Zika Virus -- Occupational Health & Safety stat : OHS

Zika is a threat, especially in southern states, and blood donations throughout the United States are being tested for Zika. The article referenced "widespread reports of how the [Zika] virus affects fetal development and can be spread by infected individuals traveling from affected areas to areas previously free of the virus. There have been 5,158 Zika cases reported in the U.S. since January 2015 -- in every state except Alaska -- and these cases once garnered significant media attention. About 90 percent of Americans believe they aren't likely to contract the Zika Virus, according to a Gallup poll conducted March 10-11 and discussed in a March 27 online article by Art Swift and Steve Ander. CDC on March 13 identified a potential risk of Zika virus transmission in Miami-Dade County, Florida, that also could affect risk for residents of Broward and Palm Beach counties, and the agency indicated there may be an increased risk there.




Drugs to target the Zika virus will almost certainly involve this protein."The research means that drugs approved to treat hepatitis C and other viral diseases can probably also be used to combat the Zika virus. The study mapped proteins in the Zika virus and found them to be very similar in structure to other viruses that cause dengue fever, West Nile, encephalitis and hepatitis C. Researchers then successfully tested several compounds that can combat these diseases and succeed in disrupting the Zika virus' replication. Laboratory studies confirmed the presence of Zika virus in the blood, tissue, brains and amniotic fluid of fetuses and babies diagnosed with microcephaly. The World Health Organization estimates more than 1 million people in 52 countries and territories in North and South America have been infected with the Zika virus since 2015. 5558099Scientists have mapped out the protein structure of the dreaded Zika virus as part of an effort to stop it from spreading, according to an Indiana University study.


Doctors in Puerto Rico are just beginning to assess the long-term consequences for children born to mothers with Zika. Epidemiologists expect to see fewer cases in Puerto Rico this year than last, but the disease is now endemic on the island. There are many people in Puerto Rico who don't take Zika seriously, and we should," she says. She's one of more than 1,000 babies already born in Puerto Rico to mothers with Zika. Many are being seen at the University of Puerto Rico by Dr. Carmen Zorrilla.


collected by :Lucy William
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