Zika Virus

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BandB

BandB

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Really an issue about where we travel and when we decide not to. Right now we're in an area where mosquitoes are carrying the Zika Virus. It's scary. Do we stay or go? What are our odds of contracting it? Even if minimal is that a chance we want to take? We certainly didn't travel to certain areas during the Ebola peak. I know people in parts of Texas who were very much in fear of mosquitoes carrying West Nile as a majority were in some areas. It's a unique virus in that most are not affected but it's apparently leading to a lot of birth defects and problems. Now we seem to have found evidence too that it can be transmitted sexually. The danger appears to be mostly to pregnant women and none of the women with us are pregnant.

That governor of Florida has declared a state of emergency with nine cases, all originating in the Caribbean. We are currently in the British Virgin Islands and warnings have been issued here. The CDC has warnings for the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. They are our next planned stops.

Well, at this point we're taking extra care to stay away from mosquitoes and using lots of repellent. It's certainly got our attention and we'll see what transpires the next few days.
 
What are the ages of you and your crew? That vast majority of infections cause a very mild illness only. It's been around for a long time. Now causing fetal development issues in those who are pregnant. If you are healthy and not pregnant, not much to worry about. In contrast to most mosquitos, who mostly bite at or near duck or dawn, the mosquitos who carry Zika bite during the middle of the day. Best protection is repellents. If anybody on board is or could be pregnant probably best to jet out of there. If not, your likely fine to stay.
 
BandB said:
Good information there as always. We have gone through it, through the Pan American warnings and WHO which doesn't directly mention Zika, but just mentions the birth problems and Guillain-Barre issues.
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Guillian-Barre is a very serious paralyzing illness to be treated as such.
 
CaptTPT said:
What are the ages of you and your crew? That vast majority of infections cause a very mild illness only. It's been around for a long time. Now causing fetal development issues in those who are pregnant. If you are healthy and not pregnant, not much to worry about. In contrast to most mosquitos, who mostly bite at or near duck or dawn, the mosquitos who carry Zika bite during the middle of the day. Best protection is repellents. If anybody on board is or could be pregnant probably best to jet out of there. If not, your likely fine to stay.
Click to expand...

Wifey B: Pregnant? We're all virgins of course. Otherwise how could we be in the British Virgin Islands. No, none of us are pregnant, nor planning on getting pregnant, at least none anytime soon, a couple of the girls who will one day. Our ages are mostly young. Females are 21 through 55. Males are 37 through 58. All very healthy. Pretty safe group and that's why we feel ok now.

The latest twist to the virus is bothersome and that is it's transmission through sex but we're not in situations where we're very worried about that either. We're also avoiding mosquito infested areas. Now we were recently in the DR but don't recall any mosquitoes there at the time, not even at the waterfalls. It's just one of those things though that makes one think and more aware. Makes mom's who are home in FL worry. Melissa's mom is funny. When the flood in SC and we were in Myrtle Beach she was worried and was like what if the water rises more and Melissa said, "Mom, I'm on a boat. It floats." We have plenty of repellent and we're aware and prepared. And everyone aware if you walk into an area and see mosquitoes to vamoose.

We got a long thing on treatment and have a couple of antibody test kits on the way. Doctor's being aware is a big thing and having kids. I read FL only has like 475 test kits for the entire state.

We all told my hubby not to worry, but that doesn't stop him from worrying about all of us. I think it's just a reality check that as we travel and explore we subject ourselves to risks. I'm sure we were in far more risk sliding down waterfalls than we are here. Probably more risk out fishing the way some of us handle rods.

We're got too many freaking viruses. They need to stop now. No more. :mad:
 
BruceK said:
Guillian-Barre is a very serious paralyzing illness to be treated as such.
Click to expand...

Wifey B: I worked with a teacher who got it. It took her 18 months to recover and she was lucky she did. She was 45 and got mono/Epstein Barr and then Guillian-Barre. They didn't diagnose it like they should have either as they just kept telling her she was weak from the mono until her hubby called an ambulance when she was having trouble breathing. She spent three weeks in the hospital and three months in a rehab center.
 
I live in, not one but two, areas designated as potential areas to contract the Zika virus. Am I worried? No. Am I a woman of child bearing age? That's a definite no!

The areas where I live are also prone to dengue and chikungunya, a form of dengue. I do take precautions but nothing more than I always do when going outside at prime mosquito time. I apply a bug repellent that contains Deet and often wear long sleeve shirts although this in more for sun protection than warding off mosquitoes.

I'm relating all of this because of what I read about so many people canceling their vacation plans etc. Would I cancel my travel plans to go to a known Zika area? Absolutely not, unless of course I was a woman of child bearing age.
 
Diesel Duck 492 said:
I live in, not one but two, areas designated as potential areas to contract the Zika virus. Am I worried? No. Am I a woman of child bearing age? That's a definite no!

The areas where I live are also prone to dengue and chikungunya, a form of dengue. I do take precautions but nothing more than I always do when going outside at prime mosquito time. I apply a bug repellent that contains Deet and often wear long sleeve shirts although this in more for sun protection than warding off mosquitoes.

I'm relating all of this because of what I read about so many people canceling their vacation plans etc. Would I cancel my travel plans to go to a known Zika area? Absolutely not, unless of course I was a woman of child bearing age.
Click to expand...

An interesting thing you mentioned. Far more people impacted by dengue and chikungunya. Just Zika has jumped to the top over birth defects. Now, the real thing needed is better mosquito treatments and eradications.
 
DDT...just don't tell the Eagles and Ospreys.... :D
 
BandB said:
Wifey B: I worked with a teacher who got it. It took her 18 months to recover and she was lucky she did. She was 45 and got mono/Epstein Barr and then Guillian-Barre. They didn't diagnose it like they should have either as they just kept telling her she was weak from the mono until her hubby called an ambulance when she was having trouble breathing. She spent three weeks in the hospital and three months in a rehab center.
Click to expand...

You can forget this. Your risk of being hit by a whale and drowning is far greater.
 
psneeld said:
DDT...just don't tell the Eagles and Ospreys.... :D
Click to expand...

Actually, there are some interesting advances being made in the effort to eradicate mosquitoes one of which is breeding mosquitoes with males infected with a bacteria. The bacteria makes the males sterile plus it limits their ability to carry dengue. There is also advances in genetically engineering sterile mosquitoes.

If you're interested in learning more about either of these google "breeding sterile mosquitoes".
 
BandB said:
Wifey B: Pregnant? We're all virgins of course. Otherwise how could we be in the British Virgin Islands. No, none of us are pregnant, nor planning on getting pregnant, at least none anytime soon, a couple of the girls who will one day. Our ages are mostly young. Females are 21 through 55. Males are 37 through 58. All very healthy. Pretty safe group and that's why we feel ok now.

The latest twist to the virus is bothersome and that is it's transmission through sex but we're not in situations where we're very worried about that either. We're also avoiding mosquito infested areas. Now we were recently in the DR but don't recall any mosquitoes there at the time, not even at the waterfalls. It's just one of those things though that makes one think and more aware. Makes mom's who are home in FL worry. Melissa's mom is funny. When the flood in SC and we were in Myrtle Beach she was worried and was like what if the water rises more and Melissa said, "Mom, I'm on a boat. It floats." We have plenty of repellent and we're aware and prepared. And everyone aware if you walk into an area and see mosquitoes to vamoose.

We got a long thing on treatment and have a couple of antibody test kits on the way. Doctor's being aware is a big thing and having kids. I read FL only has like 475 test kits for the entire state.

We all told my hubby not to worry, but that doesn't stop him from worrying about all of us. I think it's just a reality check that as we travel and explore we subject ourselves to risks. I'm sure we were in far more risk sliding down waterfalls than we are here. Probably more risk out fishing the way some of us handle rods.

We're got too many freaking viruses. They need to stop now. No more. :mad:
Click to expand...
Remember these mosquitos breed in fresh water. Not sea water. Florida is an area of risk because of the heat and humidity. These critters cannot tolerate cold. They don't travel north where I live in Oregon, except by someone caring the virus who has been infected very recently. Unless the girls with you are having sex with locals they are probably ok. Any one of you can get infected, of course, but it's highly likely if that happens you will have a mild syndrome and no big deal. Don't be worried about carring the virus for months and months and then transmitting when you get home. That doesn't happen.
 
BruceK said:
Guillian-Barre is a very serious paralyzing illness to be treated as such.
Click to expand...
There are many forms of so called polyradiculopathies which all fall under the name of Guillain-Barre syndrome. These can occur as a post viral syndrome and are seen in about 1 of 100,000 adults. I wouldn't much about it.
 
Just a little more info if your interested. Only 20% of people who get infected have any symptoms whatsoever. When they do its a mild fever, rash, joint aches (mostly in hands) and inflammation in the whites of the eyes (conjunctivitis). Lasts a short time. Once your infected your immune from re-infection. Interestingly there have been a few cases of Guillain-Barre reported, but it's quite rare. Nobody knows of any direct link, however.
 
Once Upon a Time , there was DDT,

Then another HOAX made DDT illegal .

The problem could cost the warm tourist areas their livelyhood.
 
Another attempt by Mother Nature at population control as Zika has now moved into sexual transmission it seems. Unfortunately Michael Chrichton's "The Hot Zone" still holds true.
 
sunchaser said:
Another attempt by Mother Nature at population control as Zika has now moved into sexual transmission it seems. Unfortunately Michael Chrichton's "The Hot Zone" still holds true.
Click to expand...

Let's not stirr up something we know nothing about. This virus has almost certainly always had the ability to be sexually transmitted. It lasts in the bloodstream for only a few days. Sexual transmission has to occur at the right time. Possibly limited to hours. Since the transmission by means other than a mosquito bite has not previously been studied, it's a little premature to make statements about the evolutionary capabilities of Zika.
 
CaptTPT said:
Just a little more info if your interested. Only 20% of people who get infected have any symptoms whatsoever. When they do its a mild fever, rash, joint aches (mostly in hands) and inflammation in the whites of the eyes (conjunctivitis). Lasts a short time. Once your infected your immune from re-infection. Interestingly there have been a few cases of Guillain-Barre reported, but it's quite rare. Nobody knows of any direct link, however.
Click to expand...

Guillan-Barre is so rare its hard to get good epidemiology but it seems to be associated with viral infections (a common etiology of other AI diseases as well) so I wouldn't worry much about it much in the context of Zika virus - you are far more likely to get GBS as a consequence of another more common viral illness.
 
Our idiot governor is just trying to make it look like he cares about Floridians and get some good news coverage while Zika is still in the news cycle.

I predict this will go the way of the last "oh no the sky is falling" epidemic of the measles that started in Disneyland in 2014. The media loves these stories because it raises fear of something that could potentially effect everyone, while in fact effects very few. In the first half of 2014 when this "epidemic" occurred there were no cases of encephalitis and no deaths reported, but it was in the news nightly.

For the people that are effected, my heart goes out to them, but in the end this will be a windfall for Big Pharma as they rush a miracle vaccine to market with the media driving demand like the minions they are.


:banghead:


Your common sense precautions will most probably keep you all safe and healthy, what is extremely difficult to cure is stupidity, as in "lets go see where that Zika outbreak is happening"
 
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How many movie scripts do you think are getting pitched right now where the zika virus swaps out some DNA to a common cold virus, and the plot line explores human de-evolution or a modified zombie apocalypse?
 
devorenm said:
Guillan-Barre is so rare its hard to get good epidemiology but it seems to be associated with viral infections (a common etiology of other AI diseases as well) so I wouldn't worry much about it much in the context of Zika virus - you are far more likely to get GBS as a consequence of another more common viral illness.
Click to expand...

This is correct. Although there are a few cases of GBS that have been associated with Zika virus there is nothing known about cause and affect. I would forget GBS. It's just not an issue to be concerned with.
 
MurrayM said:
How many movie scripts do you think are getting pitched right now where the zika virus swaps out some DNA to a common cold virus, and the plot line explores human de-evolution or a modified zombie apocalypse?
Click to expand...

It's interesting how many doomsdayers are already dominating the social media circles along with the conspiracy theorists who think we generated Zika in the lab to kill off people and control the population.
 
MurrayM said:
How many movie scripts do you think are getting pitched right now where the zika virus swaps out some DNA to a common cold virus, and the plot line explores human de-evolution or a modified zombie apocalypse?
Click to expand...

Seems more plausible than the hysteria associated with anthropomorphic climate change being the end all.

I'm still pulling for coronal mass ejection.
 
My Filipino friends get very anxious at the sound or sight of a mosquito. Looks like we should respond with similar caution.
I had an adverse medication reaction mimicking Guillain Barre onset. Nasty, it`s not a risk to take lightly.
 
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