The Rise of Zika—Another Mosquito Virus in the Americas
Zika, the latest mosquito-borne virus to emerge in the Americas, is rapidly becoming a public health crisis. In Brazil, it is suspected in a sharp increase in microcephaly (a birth defect that results in newborns with smaller than normal head size), leading to anxiety amongst expecting mothers and a travel advisory from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Traditionally, the virus has been fairly benign, causing a rash and a fever that is usually non-life threatening. Professor Albert Ko, chair of the Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at the Yale School of Public Health, has been working with colleagues in Brazil for months to understand if the virus has changed and what is causing the birth defects in newborns. (more…)