Zika Q&A: What Americans don't know about Zika is a lot
The mosquito-borne Zika virus, linked to an epidemic of birth defects in Brazil, is spreading quickly throughout Latin American and the Caribbean. New research provides growing evidence the virus is behind the birth defects, but many Americans remain misinformed about the disease's symptoms and risks despite heavy news coverage.
Recent research indicates that, in addition to mosquitoes, Zika can be transmitted through sex and through blood transfusions. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern." Here is the latest on what you need to know:
Q: Are Americans well informed about Zika?
A: Turns out they're not. Although Zika infections are rarely fatal, 42% of those surveyed thought people infected with the virus are "very likely" or "somewhat likely" to die, according to a survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center. About 44% said those infected with Zika would know it because the virus always produces noticeable symptoms, according to the survey. In fact, 80% of people with Zika infections display no symptoms, according to the CDC.
Q: What does the latest research show about the link to birth defects?
A: Health officials say a study of 88 pregnant women in Brazil provides the strongest evidence yet that the virus causes devastating birth defects. Ultrasounds found major abnormalities in 29% of the fetuses from women who tested positive for Zika, according to the study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The defects included microcephaly, a condition in which babies are born with unusually small heads and incomplete brain development. The fetuses from women not infected with Zika showed no abnormalities.
A separate study uncovered evidence that the Zika virus specifically targets developing brain cells, leading to stunted brain development. The findings, which eventually could identify drugs that treat the virus when it first infects, were published in the scientific journal Cell Stem Cell. The research found the virus affects neural stem cells, which develop into much of the nervous system in fetuses, slowing their growth.
Yet another study showed — for the first time — that Zika can cause Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare condition in which the immune system attacks nerve cells and causes paralysis. The study analyzed cases of the disease that were diagnosed during a previous Zika outbreak in French Polynesia and found about 88% of Guillain-Barre patients had experienced Zika-like symptoms.
A separate study from French Polynesia shows the territory's rate of birth defects rose after a Zika virus outbreak there in 2013 and 2014.
Q: What is the U.S. doing to prepare for local cases once it warms up?
A: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will lay out battle plans against Zika in April at a one-day summit with state and local officials ahead of the virus' anticipated arrival in the USA. "This meeting will also provide an opportunity to increase knowledge of best communications practices and identify possible gaps in preparedness and response at the federal, state, and local levels," the CDC says.
Q: What is WHO doing to fight the virus?
A: The organization is asking nations around the world for $56 million to fight the Zika virus through the end of June. The agency can request additional funds to fight Zika after that. The WHO will use its $2.3 million emergency fund to finance the initial response of a major action plan it released.
Q: What is the USA doing to fight the virus?
A: President Obama asked Congress for $1.8 billion in emergency funding to combat Zika through mosquito control programs, vaccine research, education and improving health care for low-income pregnant women. The proposal includes $355 million in foreign aid to South America, Central America and the Caribbean, where the virus is spreading most rapidly. Zika is not currently spreading locally in the U.S.
The directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) said their agencies' work is hampered by a lack of secure funding.
Republicans in Congress say the USA should use up $3 billion in leftover funds allocated for Ebola before spending more on Zika.
Q: What are outside organizations doing?
A: The World Bank offered $150 million to fight the Zika outbreak and provide medical care. The institution said more funds could be made available if needed in the future.
Q: What about this theory that pesticides are linked to the birth defects?
A: Experts debunked a theory that linked pesticides to an increase in birth defects thought to be caused by the mosquito-borne Zika virus in Brazil. The theory gained traction among social media users after Argentine environmentalists issued a report linking the surge to pyriproxyfen, a chemical that kills mosquito larvae. Brazil's Ministry of Health rejected any link between the chemical and the microcephaly outbreak, noting the World Health Organization deems pyriproxyfen safe for use as a pesticide. Scientists called out the report for providing no evidence to back up the claims.
