Tag: ZIKA

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Ridgewood blog readership Called it ; The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently downgraded its assessment of the risks posed by Zika

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Subject:  Zika Virus Update

December 4,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, While the media said that the mosquito-borne Zika virus is likely causing microcephaly as well as dozens of other illnesses. They also claimed that insecticides were not related to the development disorder. They seem to have been wrong on both cases.

Since December 2015 U.S. media ran a panic campaign around the Zika virus. That virus was said to cause many bad things including microcephaly, a development distortion of the head  of unborn babies if the mother was infected with Zika during pregnancy.

The World Health Organization  (WHO) has recently downgraded its assessment of the risks posed by Zika now that so many knowledgeable scientists are concluding that it doesn’t, and never did, cause microcephaly.  The Ridgewood blog readership was quick to be skeptical and predicted this outcome from the beginning.

Brazil Admits Zika Doesn’t Cause Microcephaly

I hate to mention the dreaded “Z-word” after all my railing against fearmongering, but I can’t let this pass without comment. Because once again we’re being lied to. Once again some very important information is being glossed over. Once again, the American media just isn’t reporting the facts because they don’t align with what CDC and the WHO want us to believe. So no matter how much I hate to bring it up, we need to talk about Zika yet again.

What I’m going to tell you today isn’t going to make it to the mainstream news. The Zika industry is well and truly established, with toxic chemicals being sprayed across the south, a vaccine “trial” underway, and genetically modified mosquitos on the loose. There’s probably no stopping this train now. Too much money is already being made by way too many people. So any evidence that conflicts with the “official” story will be suppressed. Any resistance to the “solution” from here on out is likely to be met with draconian “public health” measures.

https://constitutionalhealth.com/healthy-living-lifestyle/brazil-admits-zika-doesnt-cause-microcephaly.stml

 

https://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2016/zika-fifth-ec/en/

 

https://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/ZikaVirus/61577

 

 

 

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Zika-infected mosquitoes lay Zika-infected eggs

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This is the first experimental proof that mosquitoes can transmit Zika to their own offspring

By Rachel Becker

on August 29, 2016 05:01 pm

Mosquito moms can transmit zika virus to their offspring — at least in the lab, a new study shows. If this also happens in nature, the virus might be able to survive in tough mosquito eggs even when cold weather, dry spells, and pesticides kill off the infectious adults.

Mosquitoes can transmit viruses in the same family as Zika, such as yellow fever and dengue, to their offspring — but it wasn’t clear whether this was also true for Zika. So scientists led by Robert Tesh, an epidemiologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch, injected Zika virus into approximately 200 females from two different species of mosquitoes: Aedes aegypti, and Aedes albopictus. None of the A. albopictus offspring tested positive for the virus, but about one in every 290 A. aegypti offspring were infected. They published these results today in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

https://www.theverge.com/2016/8/29/12694218/zika-mosquito-eggs-transmission-offspring-spread

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Zika Virus Infection and Infant Microcephaly not so Fast

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Theoretical Cause and Effect Relationship Between Maternal Zika Virus Infection and Infant Microcephaly is Not Proving Out in Reality

Brazil’s microcephaly epidemic continues to pose a mystery — if Zika is the culprit, why are there no similar epidemics in other countries also hit hard by the virus? In Brazil, the microcephaly rate soared with more than 1,500 confirmed cases. But in Colombia, a recent study of nearly 12,000 pregnant women infected with Zika found zero microcephaly cases. If Zika is to blame for microcephaly, where are the missing cases?

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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160624150813.htm

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With 10 new Zika cases in Miami, CDC advises pregnant women to avoid Wynwood

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BY DANIEL CHANG AND EMILY COCHRANE

Federal health officials on Monday advised pregnant women to avoid a Miami neighborhood— marking the first time the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned against travel to any area within the continental United States — as a Zika outbreak in South Florida has led to 10 more local cases spread by mosquitoes.

The advisory extends to all expectant mothers, and women planning on becoming pregnant who have traveled to a one-square-mile area north of downtown Miami — including Wynwood, Midtown and the Design District — on or after June 15, said CDC Director Tom Frieden.

Read more here: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article93057392.html#storylink=cpy

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Mosquitoes cluster in subways for horny feasts, raising concern

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By Melkorka Licea and Abigail Gepner

July 31, 2016 | 1:37am

City subway stations are a mosquito’s paradise

The subways are swarming with skeeters.

The warm, wet summer and mild winter created a bumper crop of mosquitoes — and they’re breeding in the stagnant puddles of the steaming underground and sucking straphanger blood.

“I just wanna get home, I don’t wanna die on my way,” said Shayna Andino, 18, who claims she’s been bitten “at least 20 times” inside the 47th-50th Street Rockefeller Center station. “With Zika going around, it worries me,” she added.

Modal TriggerPhoto: Helayne Seidman

Andino, who takes the B and D trains to work as a cashier at Duane Reade in the station’s concourse, pointed to three bites on her face and arms.

https://nypost.com/2016/07/31/this-summer-is-making-the-subway-a-mosquito-hotbed/

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Ridgewood’s Twinney Pond gets Mosquito eating fish

Twinney Pond Park
June 22,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  in a new weapon against the spread of the Zika virus a village pond has been stocked with mosquito-eating fish as part of a program to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses in Bergen County.

In a campaign called Bergen Bites Back, the Bergen County Mosquito Control stocked Twinney Pond with the mosquito eating fish ,the Gambusia fish .The fish feed on mosquito larvae.  Bergen County Mosquito Control is using the Gambusia fish, along with regular spraying of standing water, as part of a mosquito population control and an attempt prevent mosquito-borne illnesses, including the Zika virus.

More Information
For additional information on efforts underway in Bergen County, please call the hotline at 201-225-7000 or visit the Bergen Health website and click on “West Nile Virus”.

System
Bergen County Mosquito Control Program is based on a system of  “Integrated Pest Management” consisting of surveillance source reduction, water management, and biological and chemical control.

Mosquito Control in Bergen County is an ongoing, year round program.

Early Spring
In early spring, the surveillance and application program begins. Surveillance entails looking for larvae and applying materials to prevent hatching.

After Pre-Season
After the pre-season is completed, a regularly scheduled inspection and control program begins in the eleven districts covering the 70 municipalities.

Nearly 4000 specific breeding sites are routinely inspected and larvae is collected and identified.

Bacillus Thuringiensis
If mosquito larvae is found, Bacillus Thuringiensis (BTI) is applied. BTI is a selected larvicide which affects mosquito and black fly larvae and causes no harm to

Animals
Beneficial insects
Birds
Humans
Marine life
Pets
Vegetation
Wildlife

Warmer Months
During the warmer months, mosquito breeding habitats are stocked with Gambusia, a small fish with a hearty appetite for mosquito larvae. During this time a variety of traps are installed county-wide to monitor the adult mosquito population.

Adulticiding to control the adult population is only done when necessary, from a truck or hand held unit, not by helicopter, in response to adult mosquito surveillance and identification.

Biological Control Program
The NJ State Mosquito Control Commission funds a Biological Control Program which uses five species of mosquito-eating fish which are raised at the DEP’s Division of Fish, and Wildlife’s Charles O. Hayford Hatchery in Hackettstown.

These fish are distributed at no charge to county mosquito control agencies. Where practical, these fish control mosquito populations and reduce the need for pesticides.

Winter Months
During the winter months, hand labor and heavy equipment is used to clear and desilt ditches, streams and ponds to allow for free movement of water. Tide-gates and dikes are inspected and repaired to prevent flooding of low-lying areas and water in ditches and brooks are lowered to minimize mosquito breeding.

MOSQUITO PREVENTION TIPS
Bergen County Executive Kathleen A. Donovan Encourages Residents to Take Simple Precautions

It’s time to take important steps to protect yourself and your family against West Nile Virus (WNV) infection and mosquito annoyance in general.

WNV is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, so it’s important to take steps to prevent getting mosquito bites and to clean or remove items on your property that can serve as mosquito breeding grounds.

Individuals can take a number of measures around the home to help eliminate mosquito-breeding areas, including:

• Dispose of cans, buckets, plastic containers, ceramic pots or similar containers that hold water on your property.
• Properly dispose of discarded tires that can collect water. Stagnant water is where most mosquitoes breed.
• Drill drainage holes in the bottom of outdoor recycling containers.
• Clean clogged roof gutters every year, particularly if the leaves from surrounding trees tend to plug drains.
• Turn over plastic wading pools when not in use.
• Turn over wheelbarrows and don’t let water stagnate in birdbaths.
• Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools not in use and remove any water that may collect on pool covers.

For stagnant pools of water, homeowners can buy Bti products at lawn and garden, outdoor supply, home improvement and other stores. This naturally occurring bacteria kills mosquito larva, but is safe for people, pets, aquatic life and plants.

Additionally, these simple precautions can prevent mosquito bites, particularly for people who are most at risk:

• Make sure screens fit tightly over doors and windows to keep mosquitoes out of homes.

• Consider wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks when outdoors, particularly when mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk, or in areas known for having large numbers of mosquitoes.

• When possible, reduce outdoor exposure at dawn and dusk during peak mosquito periods, usually April through October.

• Use insect repellants according to the manufacturer’s instructions. An effective repellant will contain DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Consult with a pediatrician or family physician if you have questions about the use of repellent on children, as repellant is not recommended for children under the age of two months.

WNV is an arboviral disease which people can acquire through the bite of a mosquito that has fed on an infected bird. WNV is not directly transmitted from birds to humans. About one in 150 persons, or less than 1 percent of those infected with West Nile virus will develop a more severe form of the disease. Symptoms of more serious illness include severe headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness and paralysis.

The elderly are at higher risk of more severe disease. Bergen County’s WNV surveillance, control, and prevention activities involve the coordinated efforts of a number of federal, state and local agencies. These include DHSS, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the State Mosquito Control Commission, the Rutgers Center for Vector Biology, local and Bergen County Health Departments, and of course our Bergen County Department of Public Works Division of Mosquito Control.

For more information about mosquito control in Bergen County,
call the Health Hotline: 201-225-7000 or visit the website:https://www.co.bergen.nj.us/index.aspx?nid=325

To contact the Bergen County Division of Mosquito Control about a mosquito problem, call 201-634-2880.

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Zika linked to birth defects in six US cases

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AFP
•
June 17, 2016

Washington (AFP) – The Zika virus has been linked to birth defects in the foetuses and babies of six women in the United States who were infected while pregnant, US health officials said Thursday.

Three of the women gave birth to infants with congenital defects such as microcephaly — an abnormally small head — and brain damage that are linked to Zika, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said, citing figures as of June 9.

Of the other three women, one had a miscarriage, one terminated her pregnancy, and the third gave birth to an infant that was stillborn. All three cases showed instances of Zika-related birth defects.

The six women mentioned Thursday were all infected while traveling in countries where the virus is circulating.

The CDC said it will publish weekly results of women who are pregnant and infected with Zika.

A total of 234 pregnant women in the United States had tested positive for Zika as of June 9, the CDC said.

US scientists believe that a woman infected with Zika during the first trimester of her pregnancy has a one to 13 percent chance that the fetus develops microcephaly.

The mosquito-borne Zika has spread rapidly across Latin America and the Caribbean in the past months, and experts warn that the continental United States will likely see an increase in cases as summer begins in the northern hemisphere.

There is also growing evidence that Zika can be transmitted sexually.

There is no vaccine for Zika.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/zika-linked-birth-defects-six-us-cases-104853040.html?ref=gs

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Official map finds Zika-transmitting mosquitoes in much of U.S.

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By Sebastien Malo
June 10, 2016

NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Mosquitoes that can transmit the Zika virus have been found to live in nearly all U.S. states, according to maps released this week by authorities trying to assess the public health threat.

The maps show the two breeds of virus-carrying mosquitoes, the yellow fever and the Asian tiger mosquito, can live in the nation’s northernmost states of Michigan, New Hampshire, Washington state and Minnesota, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Zika, which has been linked to numerous cases of the birth defect microcephaly in Brazil, has spread rapidly in Latin America and the Caribbean. Microcephaly is marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies.

In the United States, Zika has only been found in the territories of Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The mosquitoes, whose scientific names are Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, were concentrated most heavily in the U.S. Southeast and Southwest, according to the CDC maps that break each state down to its individual counties.

The maps (https://tmsnrt.rs/1U5njHx ) utilized data back to 1995, including information from the CDC, university researchers and local health departments.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/official-map-finds-zika-transmitting-mosquitoes-much-u-204257853.html

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Military discloses at least 11 troops infected with Zika virus this year

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Gregg Zoroya and Liz Szabo, USA TODAY

At least 11 U.S. troops have been infected with the Zika virus since January, nearly all of whom traveled to countries where the mosquito-born illness is prevalent, a Pentagon health report published Friday disclosed.

In addition, four dependents of servicemembers — which can include spouses and children — and two military retirees contracted the illness, according to the report. It underscored the risks to military personnel of child-bearing age exposed to the virus during deployments.

A fetus infected with the Zika virus during the first three months of pregnancy has about a 1% to 13% chance of developing microcephaly, an abnormally small head usually caused by incomplete brain development, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/06/03/military-discloses-least-11-troops-infected-zika-virus-year/85343632/

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Cyclist believed to be first U.S. athlete to pass on Rio Olympics due to Zika concern

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By Cindy Boren June 2 at 2:11 PM

Cyclist Tejay van Garderen has removed his name from from consideration for the U.S. team that will compete in the Rio Olympics, becoming what is believed to be the first U.S. athlete to back out because of concerns about the Zika virus.

Van Garderen, who was likely to make the team, is concerned that, if he contracted Zika, he could pass it along to his pregnant wife, who is due to give birth in October.

“If Jessica were not pregnant right now, assuming I was selected, I would go,” he told Cyclingtips. “But the fact is, she is pregnant. If we were just going to start trying, I’d say we could start trying six months after the Olympics. But when she has a baby in her belly, I don’t want to take any chances.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/06/02/cyclist-believed-to-be-first-u-s-athlete-to-pass-on-rio-olympics-due-to-zika-concern/

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Christie: N.J. is prepared for Zika virus

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A day after the first baby delivered in a New Jersey hospital was diagnosed with birth defects caused by the Zika virus, Gov. Chris Christie assured the public on Wednesday the state is ready to respond when the mosquito-borne illness migrates to the state. Samantha Marcus and Susan K. Livio, NJ.com Read more

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Hackensack University Medical Center delivers First Zika Baby

asian-tiger-mosquito

June 1,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hackensack NJ, According to the Bergen Record , “A 31-year-old woman from Honduras, a nation ravaged by the Zika virus, gave birth to a baby suffering from the devastating effects of the virus on Tuesday at Hackensack University Medical Center, the first apparent case in the tri-state area, her physician said.”

It is believed the mother contracted the disease in Honduras after being bitten by a mosquito early in her pregnancy, and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed she was infected with the Zika virus, according to Dr. Manny Alvarez, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Hackensack.

Dr. Alvarez said that the baby delivered by Cesarean-section on Tuesday suffered from low birth weight and severe microcephaly, in which the baby’s head is smaller than expected. This condition can lead to seizures, developmental delays, hearing loss and severe mental disabilities. The baby was also born with intestinal issues and visual issues,

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has previously issued a travelers alert for Honduras.

According to the CDC website a total of 591 cases of Zika virus have been reported in the United States, including 14 in New Jersey and 127 in New York, and in each case the victims contracted the virus while travelling abroad.

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Brazilian scientists find new Zika-linked brain disorder in adults

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By Julie Steenhuysen
Reuters
April 10, 2016

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Scientists in Brazil have uncovered a new brain disorder associated with Zika infections in adults: an autoimmune syndrome called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, or ADEM, that attacks the brain and spinal cord.

Zika has already been linked with the autoimmune disorder Guillain-Barre syndrome, which attacks peripheral nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, causing temporary paralysis that can in some cases require patients to rely on respirators for breathing.

The new discovery now shows Zika may provoke an immune attack on the central nervous system as well.

The findings add to the growing list of neurological damage associated with Zika.

According to the World Health Organization, there is a strong scientific consensus that, in addition to Guillain-Barre, Zika can cause the birth defect microcephaly, though conclusive proof may take months or years. Microcephaly is defined by unusually small heads that can result in developmental problems.

Brazil said it has confirmed more than 940 cases to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. Brazil is investigating nearly 4,300 additional suspected cases of microcephaly.

In addition to autoimmune disease, some researchers also have reported patients with Zika infections developing encephalitis and myelitis – nerve disorders typically caused by direct infections in nerve cells.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/brazilian-scientists-zika-linked-brain-disorder-adults-201228829.html

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Zika mystery deepens with evidence of nerve cell infections

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By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Top Zika investigators now believe that the birth defect microcephaly and the paralyzing Guillain-Barre syndrome may be just the most obvious maladies caused by the mosquito-borne virus.

Fueling that suspicion are recent discoveries of serious brain and spinal cord infections – including encephalitis, meningitis and myelitis – in people exposed to Zika.

Evidence that Zika’s damage may be more varied and widespread than initially believed adds pressure on affected countries to control mosquitoes and prepare to provide intensive – and, in some cases, lifelong – care to more patients. The newly suspected disorders can cause paralysis and permanent disability – a clinical outlook that adds urgency to vaccine development efforts.

Scientists are of two minds about why these new maladies have come into view. The first is that, as the virus is spreading through such large populations, it is revealing aspects of Zika that went unnoticed in earlier outbreaks in remote and sparsely populated areas. The second is that the newly detected disorders are more evidence that the virus has evolved.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/zika-mystery-deepens-evidence-nerve-cell-infections-231531230.html

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HHS chief: US Zika cases rise to 450

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By Sarah Ferris – 03/17/16 03:37 PM EDT

About 450 people in the United States have been infected with the Zika virus, the White House’s top health official told The Hill on Thursday.

The figure, which includes Puerto Rico and the continental U.S., shows an increase of about 90 cases from the department’s latest Zika report about one week ago. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expected to release updated data later Thursday afternoon.

Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Sylvia Mathews Burwell has put her department into overdrive to halt the spread.

Recently, HHS has focused on outreach to the thousands of college students who will visit Zika-infected destinations on spring break. A total of 69 countries, most in Central or South America, have reported cases of Zika, according to the World Health Organization.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/273469-hhs-chief-zika-cases-rise-to-450-in-us