Sunday, January 31, 2016

Zika Virus

Have you heard of the Zika Virus?  Have you traveled to Mexico, the Caribbean or the Virgin Islands?  Should you be worried?  Is this going to be a bigger outbreak than Ebola?


http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/health/what-is-zika-virus.html?_r=0

http://www.cdc.gov/zika/

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/zika-virus-infects-more-than-2100-pregnant-colombian-women/

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/zika/en/

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/brazil-revises-birth-defect-count-zika-investigation-n505486




Even though we are not studying viruses and the immune system right now, I thought it was important to be aware of the biology that is hitting the headlines right now.  This is a big deal and I want you to understand what is going on in the world.  

Read one of the articles above or watch the video clip.  In a scholarly paragraph, summarize what you learned.  What do you think?  What is your opinion of the virus?  Are you concerned?  Does your family travel to these affected areas?  What is the WHO going to decide this week when they convene to discuss the virus? (Extra credit if you can provide information about what is decided in the meeting this week and provide a link.)

96 comments:

  1. I watched the video “Should you be worried about the Zika Virus” and I think it is scary how it can affect pregnant women and their babies. The Zika virus is spread to people through mosquito bites. But I do not think people need to go into panic mode. The virus is only really harmful to pregnant women. So if you are not pregnant it should not be a worry, but if you are just try not to travel to those countries. Yes, my family has traveled to those countries but not since last spring break. I think it will be a bigger outbreak than Ebola because you can get it in more countries and more popular countries unlike Ebola was only in Africa. But this virus is not as harmful as Ebola, if you had Ebola you were going to die it was just a matter of time and Ebola could be transmitted through any bodily fluid but with the Zika Virus for most people you just have cold like symptoms or if you are pregnant your baby will most likely die but it can not really be spread from human to human. You will usually only get it if it is coming straight from the mosquito. So, I think the Zika virus is a scary disease and all diseases that come from mosquitoes are scary but the virus is not as harmful as Ebola and i think the CDC will find a cure so until then just try to avoid those countries.

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    1. I agree with you that it's concerning, but not something for everyone to obsess about. Even though we deserve to be well informed, media tends to blow things out of proportion. I also drew parallels to the Ebola outbreak. It is a really interesting topic and makes me wonder how many more outbreaks are headed our way in the future

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    2. The Zika virus is really dangerous and raises many concerns with how dangerous it actually is. I agree that Ebola was a very deadly disease, but could the Zika virus turn as deadly as Ebola later on?

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    3. I agree with you because the Zika virus hasn't spread to many parts of the world and if we are careful with it, it shouldn't be a huge problem.

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  2. The Zika virus has been spreading like wildfire, affecting the lives of a myriad of newborn children. I'm surprised that mosquitoes are the main cause of this deadly virus, even affecting unborn children, due to the fact that this disease is harmful to pregnant women. After reading about the dangers and causes of this harmful a don dreadful disease, I'm worried that this virus could spread to the United States, affecting the lives of many people, children and even unborn children. My family does not travel to these affected areas, making them protected from the disease before it spreads more rapidly. There are many dangers and risks to this disease because there are no vaccines or treatments for this deadly virus, leaving many people in pain and with no answers. The number of people who have the Zika virus has increased, scaring more and more people across the nation of the causes and affects of this harmful disease.

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    1. I am also surprised that mosquitoes are the cause of the Zika virus. It is very scary that there are many risks to pregnant women and unborn children as well.

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  3. After watching the video i feel that some people are over reacting about this outbreak. in the video it said that if you are male or female that is not pregnant you have nothing to worry about because the effects of the zika virus are just head aches joint pain ect. nothing that can really even hurt you or kill you. But it is a big deal with woman that are pregnant because it will cause birth defects witch to some people would be a very bad thing. I personally think that if you live in the area with this Zika virus is really bad you should hold off on having kids because this will eventually pass like all outbreaks do. If you are in the U>S for example don't travel there and/or dont get pregnat in those ares.

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    1. I agree that they are overreacting because of the severity of the virus. Only pregnant women should be worried.

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  4. I read the New York Times article on the Zika Virus. Zika Virus is a mosquito transmitted infection originally discovered in the Zika Forest in Uganda. It is common in Africa and Asia, and has never made its way over to our Western Hemisphere until now. Most scientists are concerned with the risk of pregnant women who have visited those countries contracting the Zika Virus, which can affect their babies in many ways, including the possibility of microcephaly. Microcephaly is when babies are born with unusually small heads, resulting in possible brain damage and other issues. I am not very concerned for myself or my family, but am concerned for all others who live in those infected areas and who are at risk. The WHO will make a determination whether or not to declare Zika Virus as a “public health emergency of international concern.” In this meeting they decided that this virus should be declared as a global health emergency.

    http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/starts-special-meeting-zika-virus-amid-rising-concern-36636725

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  5. I watched the video, and honestly I think the hosts were a little unprofessional, uninformed, and unscientific. However, the video was about a new virus, the Zika Virus, which has been spreading through Central and South America, and has only minor symptoms unless the host is a pregnant won=man, in which it will cause the infant to have an undeveloped brain and other birth defects. Moving on, I don't think that this is as serious as Ebola because Ebola kills anybody and everybody, instead of the Zika only harming a small number of people. I have traveled to these areas, but I don't plan on going there any time soon or also getting pregnant, so I personally am not very concerned (for myself), however it should serve as an eye opener about the issues of global warming and how we should all be seriously concerned about that. This week, the WHO is expected to decide if the Zika virus is a public health emergency and also what steps should be taken to treat/prevent/cure it (http://www.npr.org/2016/02/01/465106762/zika-virus-prompts-emergency-meeting-of-the-world-health-organization)

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    1. I agree that this virus, doesn't pose any significant threat to the world

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    2. Yes, I agree, this virus poses no threat to anyone other than pregnant women and their children.

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    3. I agree only pregnant women should be concerned

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  6. After watching the news report about the Zika Virus, I’m not too worried for my health. This is because for one, I’m not pregnant and also because it is not very often that my family travels out of the country where this virus is spreading. I do think that the Zika virus is interesting due to the fact that it mainly happens because of climate change making areas become drastically more different than usual as far as temperature/ climate. Since there has been no vaccine created to prevent or treat this sickness, scientists have came up with the idea to genetically modify the mosquitoes that are causing the virus in order for there to hopefully be an end to the Zika virus. After a little extra research on this topic, I learned that the WHO has suggested for this virus to be a “public health emergency of international concern” meaning that this virus has the potential to affect everyone across the globe so it’s vital for everyone to be aware of it. After the WHO’s meeting this past monday, they've decided that that Zika Virus is infact named as a public health emergency of international concern. http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2016-02-01/who-starts-special-meeting-on-zika-virus-amid-rising-concern

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    1. I'm also not as concern about the zika virus since I am not in those more vulnerable areas.

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  7. The Zika virus is being spread in exotic countries through Mosquito contact with humans. Most people will only feel mild symptoms, death is rare, and the only people who need to be severely concerned are pregnant women. Sadly, babies are being born with devastating birth defects that are ultimately leading to their painful deaths. Just add this to the list of reasons that we all loathe Mosquitoes. I would say that I am mildly concerned about the virus. Ebola was even more deadly to a wider range of people and our disease centers found a method of cure. It is likely that they can figure it out again. I’ve had the opportunity to travel to many neat places and besides feeling bad for the poor children being affected, it makes me a bit worried that more travel opportunities will be limited due to such diseases. As a person who has many travel-related goals, it's sad that risks can make us fearful of going new places. I am very hopeful that with all of the world’s resources and wealths of knowledge, somebody can figure out some sort of treatment plan. This week the WHO, the World Health Organization, banded together to declare a state of emergency. This is kind of interesting since the video we watched slightly discounts the danger to masses of people. At least this means that they’ll be putting their focus on solving the Zika virus. http://www.bbc.com/news/health-35459797

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    1. I agree that Ebola was more dangerous than this virus, but it's devastating to see young children being affected by this virus. Also, I agree with your statement that people will become fearful of going new places not wanting to become infected with this dangerous virus.

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    2. I agree with you about the level of concern of the virus. Though dangerous, it isn't transmitted easily and science will probably find a cure, maybe even this week

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  8. I watched the video "Should you be worried about the Zirka Virus". The video is about a new virus, the zirka virus, which is spreading through the Americas. The symptoms are usually mild unless the host is a pregnant woman. This virus can cause the baby to have an undeveloped brain and other birth defects. I do not think this virus is as serious as Ebola because it only effects pregnant woman and the babies inside them. Ebola however affects any human being. I have not traveled to these areas, but my father has traveled to south america before. I don't plan on visiting these areas anytime soon. I am not concerned with this virus spreading to other areas.The world health organization is expected to decide if the virus is a public health risk and what steps can be taken to prevent it from spreading.http://www.npr.org/2016/02/01/465106762/zika-virus-prompts-emergency-meeting-of-the-world-health-organization

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    1. Unfortunately, this site was already used for extra credit. You can add another site if you would like.

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  9. My family does not travel much, especially to the affected areas. I am not worried about the virus, because of the many other things happening right now. I read the article about the pregnant Women in columbia who are infected with the Zika virus. I remember hearing about this on the news. The babies are born with smaller heads and underdeveloped brains. This could present many problems to the children affected because the underdeveloped brains would not allow for the smartest thinking.

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    1. My family doesn't travel to these areas either. I also am not worried about the virus.

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    2. I am not too worried about this virus as well because Illinois doesn't have an extreme number of mosquitos, and I don't travel to the areas that are more affected

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  10. The Zika Virus is transmitted through mosquitos, but it is not not contagious just by talking to someone who has it. It can cause deformities in children if pregnant women get it. I’m not very worried about it because it is not easily transmittable person to person. All the Zika cases in the U.S. involved foreign travel. 80% of people don’t even experience any symptoms after being infected with the virus.

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    1. I agree, I'm not all that worried either but, it is kinds scary 80% don't even have symptoms even if they have the disease.

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    2. Ya that is relieving. It can probably be stopped quickly but it is scary as Morgan said that many people don't even have the symptoms.

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  11. I frequently hear stories about mosquitoes carrying viruses. While it is unfortunate, I find it more interesting studying the habits of mosquitoes. For example, there are certain blood types that it prefers. I for one have not been bitten by a mosquito in several years, something I am very glad about. Why do mosquitoes bite all these people but not me? I find these questions intriguing.

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    1. I agree. I think mosquitoes love me. I always seem to get more bites than anyone else. Have you really not gotten bitten in several years? That is crazy!

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    2. I cant go anywhere without getting bit 100's of times. you are so lucky.

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    3. I agree that more studies should go into mosquitos habits so that we can try and learn who is at risk of mosquito bites and help stop viruses like Zika and Niles west from spreading

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  12. I learned that the zika viruses comes from mosquitoes, but it is only a problem for women who are pregnant because they can give the virus to the baby. I'm not worried about the zika virus because I don’t travel to the places that have an outbreak. This does not affect any plans that I know of for spring break and summer, but it could effect my cousin who travels to Mexico during the summer. when the WHO get together on monday whether or not to “designate the mosquito-drone virus”.
    http://www.popsci.com/who-declares-zika-global-health-emergency

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  13. I read the CBS News article on the Zika virus. The Zika Virus is known to be spread by mosquitoes. The virus is linked to a birth defect called microcephaly which causes babies to be born with underdeveloped brains and abnormally small heads, as well as a possible link to a sometimes-paralyzing syndrome called Guillain-Barre syndrome, which would affect people other than pregnant women and their children. The Center for Disease Control is mainly concerned for pregnant women in the affected areas and those that may become pregnant. I am not concerned for myself or my family because we have not recently traveled to any of the countries or territories where the virus has been spreading; however, I am concerned for the people who are greatly at risk of contracting the virus. The WHO will be determining if Zika is a "public health emergency of international concern," and if it is decided as so, they will then help coordinate an international emergency response. Hopefully if it is deemed as an emergency, the WHO's efforts will help calm the panic surrounding the virus, help treat those around the world who have it, and ultimately produce a vaccine for the virus.

    http://vitals.lifehacker.com/your-non-alarmist-guide-to-the-zika-virus-1756627224

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  14. I think this is a terrible a disease that can be spread worldwide if we aren’t careful. If anything this could become extremely dangerous because there is no treatment and if kids can’t live long lives there’s no possibility for the human- race to continue. However, I do not believe that will happen for the chances are slim to none and it hasn't been spread worldwide at the moment. I know this could be bad if cases keep happening but for now I think we are safe from the disease. My family has and been to the islands that have the infested mosquitoes. The WHO stands for Worldwide Health Organization and they are meeting to discuss whether or not this should be a global, public health emergency.
    http://www.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11585&Itemid=41688&lang=en or if that was used http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3430116/Zika-set-hit-UK-Cases-head-shrinking-virus-highly-likely-travellers-return-home-Latin-America-doctor-claims.html

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  15. From watching this video i learned about this virus known as the zika virus. Its a deadly virus for moms who are pregnant and their kids. When moms travel to other countries they risk getting there kid sick. I say kid meaning children who are still in their mom. This disease causes and underdevelopment of their head and brain. Most kids who contact the zika virus don't survive very long. The number are rising. They used to be in the hundreds but now the they have rised to the thousands. I think this is a very dangerous because if it keeps rising it could create big problems. If it becomes wide spread moms wont conceive because the children will just die days after birth. This could have an effect on our population. I also think this is very sad since theres no test no one knows who has it. Just last week my grandma went on a cruise to a place that had the zika.

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  16. I read the CBS article about the virus, and I am not too concerned about my family’s health. We never travel down to Central America, but the virus is still a problem for other people. The Zika virus is transported by mosquito bites and sexual contact, and it mainly affects pregnant mothers and their babies. It can not only does it give children small, undeveloped brains, but it also has a chance that a scary paralyzing syndrome may also be passed down. Humanity is trying the fix the issue, though. An organization called WHO is planning a meeting this week to decide how they should treat the virus, and ways to prevent it.

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  17. The zika virus seems extremely harmful to people (especially pregnant woman) exposed to these types of mosquitos. Learning that all of these babies are affected by the zika virus, I think that we should all be at least little bit nervous. I'm not too worried about getting it, just because I haven't recently gone to any of these countries, but we should be worried for the babies that are getting this virus, because it could potentially result in death. Ebola was a very big outbreak, especially known for in Africa, but if this zika virus starts spreading throughout the u.s, then it will spread fast and be a huge outbreak, possibly more an outbreak than ebola. It's also now proven it can be sexually transmitted, I wonder if it can be transmitted any other way that we don't know about?

    http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/02/03/465339603/what-we-know-so-far-about-sexual-transmission-of-zika-virus?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news

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  18. The Zika virus comes from mosquitoes, and has infected over 2,100 pregnant Colombian women. I am not worried about this virus because I don't travel that often, and if I do its not out of the country. The WHO said the virus could infect 4 million people by the end of the year. That scars me because that means this virus is spreading rapidly.

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    1. I agree that I wouldn't be so worried since I don't travel and not a bunch of people travel that are close to me. I also think that I'm a bit worried for other people though based on how a lot of people do travel so the virus could spread

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    2. Because I travel so much, I'll probably have to buy extra bug spray. Also, I'll probably shiver anytime I see a bug...

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  19. I watched the video that explained what the Zika virus is and more information about it. I wasn't aware that this virus was going around. i shocked me when I heard that two of the few cases of this virus where in Illinois. Although this virus can cost children their lives, I don't think it will be as horrible of an outbreak as Ebola because it can only effect a small sum of people. Pregnant women are the only ones who have to worry about the virus because their virus can be passed on to their child, who will have serious birth defects. Also, living in an area with lower amount of mosquito, like Illinois, this virus is not too much to worry about in my opinion. This video also brought some questions to my attention like "If a man has sexual contact with a women, can her child then have his virus?" and "Why does it not give huge symptoms to the adult who gets it, but a child can die from it?"

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    1. Does the virus ever get the men sick or is it just women who get affected by it?

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    2. I agree that this virus is not as alarming as others in the past, but do you think there are other ways it could spread that we don't know about yet? Do you think it has the potential to be more terrible than other recent viruses like Ebola?

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  20. The Zika virus is only dangerous to women who are pregnant or may become pregnant. the Zika virus causes birth defects such as the baby having a deformed head and the brain not being completely formed. I believe that this Zika Virus will be like the new ebola. I myself have never traveled to any of the affected areas so i am not concerned.

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  21. I watched the video on the Zika Virus. It is a virus carried by mosquitoes and could be sexually transmitted. It doesn't really have an effect on anyone unless you are pregnant. If you are, then there could be serious risks for your baby that can result in death. It causes and underdeveloped brain and head. I really did not know how serious this was in other countries. When the woman explained that there were at least 3,500 documented cases of this in Brazil, my jaw dropped. I hadn’t realized how big of a deal this was around the world. I’m scared that it will eventually get worse if scientists don't do anything about it. It might not get get a chance to spread too bad in America if people take the right precautions but for sure we need to do something to help the other people around the world who don't have the resources to keep themselves and their families safe. My family doesn't travel to these places that have been badly affected, so were okay as long as it doesn't get spread. I just really hope they find a vaccine soon or something we can do to prevent this virus from spreading so we could save the lives of children around the world.

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  22. Like Ebola before it, Zika is extremely worrying but luckily to a smaller demographic. As a male who hasn't been to any of the affected countries I feel fairly safe when it comes to health problems but I can see why it can be considered dangerous. As for the link to microcephaly I'm not as sure, as most of the research was done in areas where microcephaly was common. It could just increase chances but I doubt it guarantees it.

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    1. I agree. I am the same way, and do not plan on getting pregnant anytime soon, so I believe that people are safe if they watch out for themselves.

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  23. I believe that the Zika virus is a big problem for the world.Since the 2016 olympics will be happening in Brazil,the epicenter of the Zika outbreak.This will give the Zika virus a chance to cause a worldwide pandemic,since the olympics will be attended by people around the world.Although I believe that the focus should be dedicated to protecting pregnant women,and not making the Zika virus sound like Ebola 2.0.I am not really worried since it doesnt affect me directly,but the Zika crisis should be addressed by world leaders.

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  24. This virus does seem kinda similar to Ebola in that is is fast an upcoming. But also on that note it doesn’t scare me because it’s hard to transmit and just like Ebola, I predict that in a month or so it will dismiss. That is how it is with all these viruses. It causes an uprising than it dissipates. So this Zika Virus is very dangerous but I don’t feel it will be with us long before the uprising of this virus calms down. But if you are still worried about catching it, here is an article providing information on how you can protect yourself from the Zika virus.
    http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/02/01/how-to-protect-yourself-from-zika-virus.html

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    1. Brian,
      I totally agree with what you say but we really don't know much about this virus which is why it scares people. Just think on these questions: What if it evolves faster than we expect or to something more dangerous? If there is no cure and this spreeds faster than we think kand it suddenly doesn't go way what then? What about those people that just can't keep mosquitos away from them? If this is transmitted in the sharing of cells could there be infected blood in blood banks that is used to save lives? Just something to think about. I'm not trying to conceive you of anything my mind just goes to worst case scenario.

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    2. I agree with you Brian, that this virus will probably not be much thought of in less than a year and that geographically, we really don't have anything to worry about.

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  25. After watching the video I think I can say that it won't hit big in America. It's just in the Latin American countries and that the US has enough money to research and combat the virus. Since the video says that it only affects pretty much women who are pregnant. I think you would just have to be careful where you visit while you're pregnant. In my opinion the virus doesn't seem that scary compared to malaria or Ebola. I think that we will find a cure very soon and be good. My family does travel to mexico bit in Mexico City there is no mosquitoes, just pigeons. I think thw Who will improve efforts on it.
    http://news.yahoo.com/photos/battling-the-zika-virus-slideshow/health-ministry-worker-fumigates-house-kill-mosquitoes-during-photo-193155107.html
    Mostly just photos but it's pretty cool

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    1. I agree, I don't think we have much to worry about here, and since the virus isn't deadly, I don't think there is TOO much to worry about as of now.

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    2. I agree. We definitely should have some preventive measures, but at the moment it doesn't present itself as a world ending disease.

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  26. The spreading of the disease is important to the U.S because people are travelling to other countries that are infected with the virus causing mosquitoes and they could potentially get bit. Then when they come back they could bring the mosquito (Aedes) into our country. It get spread when the person gets bit by the mosquito. The result is children with severe birth defects. The WHO is going to decide how to deal with the problem and stop the spreading. By creating a way to weaken it they will have a better way to find a cure and stop the virus from going around. Due to how many people travel it's harder to stop the spreading of cases and because some people don't know if they even got bit by a mosquito.

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  27. As I watched the video I found out that the zika virus is spreading more and more and that it has a bad effect on pregnant women and their future child. It is transmitted by mosquitos and is mostly affecting people that live or travelled to South or Central America. Like for example, it is reported that 2 people from Illinois got infected with the virus by traveling to those places. However, I am not very concern about it as it is not contagious like ebola and my family rarely travels, but i am concern for the people that are more vulnerable to get it and some of my family members as they live in Mexico.


    http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2016/02/04/0204-zika-virus-florida.html


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  28. The Zika virus is a huge problem and is probably going to be the next Ebola. This virus totally scares me because I've been to tropical places almost once a year for vacation. Since I'm not a male, I have much more to worry about because this could affect my children. Also this terrifies me because it is a contagious virus. I wonder why virus' can get so bad and spread so fast throughout the world, even though there is normally a cure to be eventually discovered.
    http://www.buzzfeed.com/carolinekee/the-facts-about-microcephaly-and-zika#.fqJ4XDqvO

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  29. I watched the video and I don't think it will spread much in the United States. This is the first time an outbreak of this virus has occurred but this is only in South American and Latin American countries where there are a lot of mosquitoes. Right now in the United States, there is not a lot of mosquitoes. My opinion of the virus is that it is unusual because I have never heard of an outbreak this big that really only affects pregnant women and their children. If you are not pregnant and don't planning on getting pregnant then you have nothing to worry about.

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  30. I read CDC article for the Zika virus, and I don't think it will be to much of a big deal. While the fact that it can affect pregnant women and there babies isin't the best thing, it dosen't seem too bad, saying that virus isin't "deadly" yet. While I may not be concerned, since I don't live in any of these countries, and neither does my family travel or live there, that dosen't mean that it cant spread to the U.S. The World Health Orginization wanted to declare this as an international threat, and after Monday, have decided to come forth and make it so. But alas, I cant say i'm very worried about this virus, since I am not travelling, pregnant, or live there.

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  31. I read the New York Times article on the Zika virus. I think that this virus is actually really, really serious and needs to be stopped. The effects of it are an abnormally small head for a baby, and brain development issues. Neither of these can be treated to fully restore healthy conditions, which is why it needs to be prevented in the first place. Since it spreads through mosquitos in tropical regions, it is nearly impossible to avoid due to the mass amounts of insects in these area. Not everyone will get it, but the mobility and persistence of mosquitos makes the spread very rapid. My family has not visited any of the affected areas, so I am not concerned right now. But, if the spread continues and they discover new ways it is transmitted, I would start to worry.
    http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/zika-virus-outbreak/zika-virus-outbreak-who-chief-convenes-emergency-committee-meeting-n505706

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  32. I read the New York Times article and as I was reading I became more and more frightened by the relativity this virus has in our World. Effects like deformed babies and brain issues are something caused by this virus, making it a serious issue. I think the pressing issue about this virus is that it has easy transportation of mosquito's. So this summer I deffinately think I will put on some extra bug spray to play it safe. I believe that because this virus is by mosquito's it makes it more serious that ebola, because everyone at some point in there life gets a mosquito bite. Ebola was mainly contained due to the fact that you must come in contact with someone who has already had the virus.

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  33. I read the CBS News article talking about the alarming Zika Virus. Zika virus isn't much of a threat to men compared to women. Women who are pregnant can be struck by the mosquito virus which can affect their child's brain development. Zika virus causes infants to have a deformed head which can cause death quickly. The virus is mainly in Columbia which I don't think will travel all the way up to Illinois and affect us. The mosquitoes are beginning to migrate into southern Florida because of global warming. I go to Florida a lot, and I kind of would be concerned because I don’t want to get sick while I’m on vacation! The first case was found in Brazil, and earlier this week, health officials stated that there was 4,000 Zika virus cases in just one week. Back in 2014, there were only 150 cases in the whole entire year! This disease is interfering with couples who are trying to start a family.

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    1. I agree, Zika the disease will not affect us here in Illinois.

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  34. The video talked about what has been happening in warmer parts of the world with the Zika Virus. This is a virus transmitted by mosquitos and possibly sexual activity that, once infected, if you get pregnant it will cause difficulties during birth. These difficulties include underdevelopment in the brain, death in infancy, and abnormally small heads. As a teenage guy that lives in the outer suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, I find myself not being concerned with the virus, because I am at very little risk. My family doesn't travel to these areas but we have family friends that do travel to dangerous countries, such as Colombia. Luckily though, they are past the age of having children and won't be very affected by the virus, excluding the week long headache and fever.
    http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/01/zika-virus-your-questions-answered

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  35. If you are a male, or a female who isn't pregnant, there is nothing to worry about. It is a very serious virus, but it shouldn't affect us, like Ebola. And no, I like cold weather so I haven't gone to any of those places.

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    1. It's nice to know it won't affect us

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    2. It may be nice that we aren't affected, but what about the people we care about? It can still affect them.

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  36. I watched the video and I think this is a dangerous virus towards young children. Mosquitoes are pretty terrible as they are both annoying and deadly. Taking them out would probably help a lot of people and prevent a lot of deaths. I’m not really concerned for either me or my family, as we have no plans to travel anytime soon, but the people and the children in the area must be suffering. 3500 cases of the Zika virus in Brazil is a lot and a sudden jump, most likely having to do with global warming.

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    1. I do agree with you that getting rid of the mosquitoes would help stop this problem. I also agree with you that the increes of mosquitoes with the diseases could be caused by global warming

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    2. i agree i'm not concerned about my family or myself getting the zika virus

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  37. I watched the Zika virus video, I think it's very disturbing that 80 percent of people don't develop symptoms, and how undetected it can be. It also is crazy how of the very few cases of Zika in the U.S., 2 are in Illinois, which is very bad news for us. It causes birth defects in pregnant mothers which causes the baby's head to shrink down immensely. But if you are not pregnant, you don't have much to worry about because it isn't proven to do anything to regular, unpregnant people, so hopefully nothing to stress out over!

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    1. I agree with you Kevin. It is indeed very disturbing that 80 percent of people don't develop symptoms. I was shocked by that.

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  38. I have heard a lot about the Zika virus and believe it to be a greater threat than ebola. It is transmitted in numerous ways and will quickly spread if given the chance. Lately I haven't been anywhere with the virus so I'm not too worried about taking in the virus until it hits somewhere other than Texas. And like I said, I think this is a much bigger deal than ebola.
    http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/new-link-between-zika-virus-and-microcephaly-is-found-in-brazil/

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  39. I read the cdc.gov article on the zika virus. This zika virus sounds pretty terrible. My family does travel to these places. Two years ago my family went to Mexico and last year my family went on a cruise and stopped at the Bahamas, St. Thomas, and St. Martin. I read that the zika virus gives you rashes, fever, joint pain, and conjunctivitis. This virus sounds pretty bad. I hope I do not get this when I go on spring break this year.

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  40. I have heard about the Zika virus. I also have traveled to Mexico many times and we are planning on going there for spring break. I believe it is something to worry about but not something big enough to always worry about. It could be a bigger outbreak than Ebola but I believe it will be contained. It looks to be a very deadly virus and I hope it can be cured. It is very scary that 80 percent of people don't develop symptoms.

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  41. I read the article from CBS News and I am nervous for two reasons, one it is transmitted by mosquitos which are everywhere, especially in warm places, and two because it is very undetectable. It is a extremely bad virus that is especially dangerous for little children and pregnant women. It cause lots of birth difficulties for the mother and a birth defect for the child. The birth defect from the Zika Virus is the kids head shrink. It also looks like the virus only affects either pregnant women or newborns.

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  42. I watched the video about the Zika virus. The overall idea of the video was to tell you what the virus is and how it affects. One of the side affects of the virus is that if a pregnant women is bitten than the child could have some birth defects. I think that the fact that it can be transmitted through birth will cause many problems for many people. Although this will cause problems for those that live in the area where the diseases is but i don't think that this will affect anyone in y family as none of them plan to travel to any of the countries that have the diseases. The people that really need to worry is pregnant women but everyone no matter what should be cautious.

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  43. I watched the video on the zika virus, and I think it is pretty scary. I personally don't think much of it for the already living population, but I worry for those to come. I took a vacation to Barbados a few years ago, but I don't think we should be that worried in the U.S. Sure it's something we should be trying to cure, but it is definitely not like Ebola, since it isn't killing nearly everyone it infects.

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  44. I watched the video and I think that it’s kind of scary how this virus affects people and how it’s so undetected. Most people don’t develop symptoms, and that could be dangerous. I’m not overly concerned because my family doesn’t travel to these places and the virus isn’t that common in the US. But it still worries me how it spreads in many ways and how undetected it can be.

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  45. I read the CBS article about the Zika virus. I was facinated to see how the cases of the virus were exploding in Latin America. The article said that by the end of the year around 4 million people will have been affected with the disease; a huge number of those will be children. I wonder how these nations are going to handle the influx of disabled children and how it could affect their future? The article also spoke of a case in Texas that occurred. Will this disease have the same devastating effect in the U.S? Right now there is no cure for the ailment and the future of many young nations could be in jeopardy.

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  46. In the New York Times article "Short Answers to Hard Questions about the Zika Virus", the virus's effects and spread is discussed in q&a format. The virus, found primarily in tropical and carribean climates, is spread by mosquitos but can also be sexually transmitted. It affects pregnant women most, for the virus causes birth defects. The babies are born with abnormally small heads and brain damage. There is no widely available test for the disease which makes stopping it very difficult. Because of this, pregnant women should avoid countries where the zika virus is common.

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    1. Woman are now going to have to avoid these areas, because otherwise they may not be able to have normal babies. No available tests are concerning which does make finding a cure a problem.

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  47. I watched the Zika Virus video, is a nasty disease that is rapidly growing, in the last few months there has been 3,500 cases. When pregnant women get this virus there newborns brains only partially developed and heads are misshapen. When you’re not pregnant the symptoms are very minor and usually aren’t even hospitalized. At this point there is no way to prevent it other than not going to the affected countries. Thankfully my family doesn't travel to the affected areas and I am not pregnant so i’m not really at risk. That being said it is still a very terrible virus, and funds need to be raised to find a vaccine to help stop the spread of it.

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  48. I learned in the video that this disease affects mostly people who are pregnant because is makes the babies have a defect. The baby's brain does not develop normal and that cause the baby's brain to be smaller and the head to be smaller. Most of these babies die shortly after birth. I think this disease is very weird, and I am wondering why if this has been around for a while why we haven't done something about it. My family does not travel to these areas so at the time I am not very worried. I think doctors should immediately begin looking for a cure, and maybe a way to kill mosquitos. Mosquitos are not helpful in any way that I know; all they do is hurt and spread diseases. I think if we can figure out how to kill all the mosquitos or make something that makes them not come after humans we could cure a lot.

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  49. This virus is a really sad thing. The virus is rapidly spreading and 4000 babies were born with an awful defect compared to the rough 140 born with it last year due to the virus. i think this virus should be a concern especially for pregnant women that traveled out of the country or even people. i hope there are not major out breaks in southern states like there were with the Ebola virus. Stopping this disease is very difficult and people need to be cautious when leaving the country.

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  50. The zika virus will cause an infants head to be severally smaller than it should be; leading to developmental problems late in its life if the virus doesn't kill it. In Brazil there is a zika outbreak and they advise all pregnant women to reconsider a travel to Brazil or one of the 21 other infested countries. The women who live in those countries were even ured to not get pregnant until the mosquito carrying the virus can be eradicated. This is similar to micro-cephalic cases, which have been mistaken as the zika virus. However, this ultimately helped the doctors to consider both illnesses during testing. The virus will kill many infants who are at risk, I just hope that nobody in my family was infected when we were visiting Mexico.
    http://blackamericaweb.com/2016/01/25/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-zika-virus-especially-if-youre-pregnant/

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  51. I watched the video “Should you be worried about the Zika Virus” and I thought it was strange how heads can be born differently than normal. Good thing for me, I am not exactly able to get the virus very easily, so I am not exactly concerned. I believe that if people do not travel, then they should not be overly worried. It seems that for pregnant women, this virus is a lot more serious because they could pass it on to their children. My family travel to the countries with the virus once every couple years. If the CDC could develop a plan to make a virus for the infection, then I think the risk would definitely go down. The Zika Virus is definitely something to look into, but if nothing is made for it, I do not believe the world would suffer.

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  52. After watching I don't have any worries about my health Because I'm never going to be pregnant and I rarely travel out of the countrie

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  53. After watching this, I am nervous that this virus will turn into something much worse than it is right now. I hope it doesn't turn out to be something like Ebola. I think when people worried about ebola, we might have overreacted. Not many people were effected by it, I think we were all just nervous it would spread. This virus definitely should not be as bad as Ebola was and hopefully the world doesn't freak out about it.

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  54. I do think that this is a big deal for pregnant women, but I am a boy so I cant get pregnant. It only seems like it does damage to fetuses and that it can spread through sex. other than that it just seems like its the flu. If we want to stop it we should prevent mosquito bites and try to eliminate these infected mosquito's.

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  55. In the New York Times article, "Short Answers to Hard Questions About Zika Virus," it talks about being a mosquito-transmitted virus that can be related to other viruses such as yellow fever, and the West Nile virus. This virus was common found in tropical regions until their was an outbreak in Brazil. This virus can give infants small heads and often times damaged brains as well. When infected only 1 in 5 people will show symptoms and some of those symptoms would be fever, rash, and red eyes. Overall after reading this article I was very interested in reading more about this virus.

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  56. Today I watched "zika virus" this paragraph basically described that there is a new virus given from mosquitoes to humans. The virus has limited side affects, and is mostly dangerous towards pregnant women, also there is very few cases of the virus in united states. To be honest i don't think this virus is a big deal, but a cure should be researched just in case. So in turn i am not concerned because im not a pregnant women and that is the targeted audience. My family does not travel to these affected areas, like the mid east. I learned that the WHO has suggested for this virus to be a “public health emergency of international concern” meaning that this virus has the potential to affect everyone across the globe so it’s vital for everyone to be aware of it. After the WHO’s meeting last Monday, WHO decided that that Zika Virus is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. (i dont agree) HERE IS A LINK http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2016-02-01/who-starts-special-meeting-on-zika-virus-amid-rising-concern

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  57. The zika virus is a disease that is transmitted through Aedes mosquitoes that results in a mild cold few a few days but can also lead to serious birth defects. These birth defects result in an undeveloped mind and abnormal features. Because of the serious effects it can have on newborn babies, I think that this is a serious disease that should be better known and there should be more precautions to avoid it. However, I am not very concerned about this disease coming to Illinois or for me to get it because it is not likely that I will go the an area that it is a serious problem in any time soon, but I am concerned for the people in the countries that it is popular in. The WHO is deciding on what they should do about the virus and if they should take more precautions to control it

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  58. I read the article by the CBS News called "Zika Virus Infects more than 2,100 Pregnant Colombian Women." It was about how the Zika virus is spreading in Latin America. The CDC is telling pregnant women to avoid travel since the virus affects newborns giving them small heads and undeveloped brains. I believe this has become a big issue and scientists should focus their efforts on a cure for this disease. If it spreads it could start decreasing our population as no newborn babies will live very long.

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  59. I read the CBS article and was surprised that the Zika virus infects more than 2100 pregnant women. I also saw that over 20,000 people in Columbia have developed the Zika virus.This is a lot of people for a virus that was only discovered last year in Brazil.

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    1. I too was very surprised. So many people have gotten the Zika virus and it was just discovered last year.

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  60. I read the NBC NEWS article and was very shocked to learn that the Zika virus was just discovered last year. The rare birth defect is that babies get unusually small heads. Thirty two centimeters or less in circumference. The way the virus is spread is through certain mosquitoes called the Aedes aegypti mosquito. It has gotten so bad that the U.S. had to warn pregnant women not to visit places where the Zika virus is common.

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