And Now, Zika

I joked once that when – as quoted in Genesis – God said “Be fertile, then, and multiply; abound on the earth and subdue it” that command may have been directed at Noah and his family, but the viruses heard it, too.
Since then, they’ve done well these many millennia. Some would say, better than we have. They’ve adapted to the climates of the globe, circumnavigated it as hitchhikers when we traveled or shipped our goods, and survived nearly all our attempts at eradication.
My quip may have been funny in that moment, but the truth is this: viruses cause devastation that is no laughing matter. Zika is the latest reminder.
Like other infectious diseases throughout history, it will disrupt the health, social and economic well-being of the nations where it strikes. Then, the consequences will ripple through the world’s well-being and economy.
Already, the CDC has issued travel warnings for regions in the southern American hemisphere. Many national and global public health officials are meeting in emergency sessions in hopes of preventing a pandemic.
And, I wonder, what of this summer’s Olympics?

Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care - February 1, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: dw at disruptivewomen.net Tags: Publc Health Source Type: blogs