Global Warming and Zika Virus Blog :
Scientists believe that record average temperatures may be helping to create an environment that has led to big increases in number of disease-carrying mosquitoes.
Abnormal Warming :
Last year was the hottest year on record, with temperatures for the first time about 1 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
But in some parts of Brazil, average temperatures rose by between 3 and 5 degrees Celsius.
The abnormal warming of the Pacific caused by the El Nino contributed to this.
About Zika Virus (ZIKV)
The Zika Virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne disease, which is transmitted by some species of Aedes mosquito, particularly Aeds Aegpti . These mosquitoes bite in the day, particularly around dawn and dusk.
Most people who get infected with Zika Virus do not show any symptoms. Only one in five people who get it will feel sick, usually for a few days. In some cases, Zika infection can cause fever, rash, severe headache, joint pain, and muscle and bone pain. Illness from Zika is not usually severe and does not require hospitalization.
Recent outbreaks in Brazil and French Polynesia have raised concerns that there is a possible association between infection with Zika Virus in pregnant women and certain birth defects.
Spread of the disease :
The Virus has been known since 1947, and has gained a higher profile due to suspected links between it and cases of Microephaly. Outbreaks of Zika virus have previously been reported in tropical Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. Recent outbreaks have occurred in Central and South America, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
Free mosquito repellent is being distributed to women on welfare programmes. The WHO decision to declare a public health emergency will make it easier to get funding for urgent work of developing a vaccine.
Another possible solution is the "Good Mosquito", a transgenic mosquito developed by the UK firm Oxtec. When it breeds with normal mosquitoes, it leaves them sterile.
