Perhaps recalling that I was once the Supervising PHN and
then acting director of a county health department and an Infection Control Preventionist
for several acute hospitals, I have been asked (among other questions), “What
do you think of mosquitoes?” My answer? I think mosquitoes are the ultimate in
bioterrorism, causing damage and death to millions the world over. They spread
any number of viruses and parasites and who knows what else, causing diseases
such as Malaria, Yellow Fever, Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya. Zika is related
to Dengue, Yellow Fever, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile viruses. Some recent studies are
linking the Zika virus to microcephaly (a smaller-than usual sized head in the
fetus of a pregnant woman who has the Zika virus). Thus, the suggestion that
women in areas where these mosquitos live should avoid getting pregnant because
of the risk of microcephaly and/or other birth defects to the developing fetus.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment