Recent concerns over the Zika outbreak reflect the large danger of spreading mosquito borne illnesses. Two isolated cases of the disease were found in Hawaii last month, according to Hawaii News Now, but both were simply “travel cases” of the disease.
“We follow it pretty closely in class, because it’s very interesting to see it as an emerging disease,” said Colby Weeks, an assistant professor of biology and microbiology instructor.
“It’s transmitted by mosquitos, and it’s been around at low levels in Africa until just recently when it started to spread last year in Brazil.”
The Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) latest report on the spread of the virus placed 358 travel-associated cases in the United States. Territories such as Puerto Rico and American Samoa have been hit much harder, with 14 locally acquired cases in American Samoa and 445 cases contracted in Puerto Rico.
Common symptoms are described by the CDC as “fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito. People usually don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika.”
The disease is not usually severe to those who are infected and would probably remain largely insignificant if it weren’t for its connection with causing microcephaly in newborns.“
It’s the first mosquito borne virus that can affect the fetus,” said Professor Weeks. The CDC has confirmed that Zika negatively affects developing fetuses, causing brain damage, and a condition called microcephaly, in which the baby is born with a small, shrunken head.
The Obama administration recently asked Congress for 1.9 billion dollars in funding to help combat the virus before it spreads any further, according to NBC News. The bill has yet to be passed, and so federal officials have instead opted to transfer money from Ebola projects to fight the virus.
Zika isn’t the only mosquito-related disease that has been spreading. A concerning disease outbreak took place on the Big Island earlier this year, when 237 different cases of Dengue fever were contracted.
As of April 14, the CDC placed out a warning, saying, “Infectious mosquitoes may still be present, even if no cases remain infectious to mosquitoes. ‘Fight the bite’ preventative measures remain crucial throughout the Big Island.”
The Chikungunya virus, another virus carried by mosquitos, has been spreading throughout the Pacific Islands since 2011. A particularly serious outbreak took place in French Polynesia during the fall of 2014 and continues to be a problem in other pacific islands. It has also been reported in the southern U.S. in small quantities.
The CDC is urging prevention from catching these diseases, mostly by using mosquito spray and preventing bites. Professor Weeks said the virus is likely to become a serious problem this summer. “
Mosquito borne viruses are obviously going to spread more in the summer because the mosquitos breed and come out more” The mosquito species Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are common carriers of these diseases and both are present in the state of Hawaii.
Below is a list of information about the different diseases:
Zika VirusLocation: Latin America Description: Zika has been connected with Microcephaly in infants, and for this reason it is considered a serious health risk.
Symptoms: Fever, rash, red eyes, and joint pain
Transmitted by: A. aegypti and A. albopictus mosquitos
Dengue FeverLocation: Latin America, Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands
Description: Recently broke out on the Big Island, this virus is a leading cause of illness in tropical parts of the world, however it is not a huge risk in the United States.
Symptoms: Headache, eye pain, joint pain, rash, bleeding, and high fever
Transmitted by: A. aegypti mosquitos Chikungunya
Location: Africa, Asia, Latin America, Pacific Islands
Description: This virus has recently plagued pacific islands such as New Caledonia and Tahiti. It is also common in many other tropical parts of the world.
Symptoms: Fever, joint pain and swelling Transmitted by: A. aegypti mosquitos.