# Zika ?



## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

I am on a very strict diet of news for a variety of reasons, perhaps people on here have some more information so I can avoid looking at endless pictures of babies with birth defects.

Basically it is a (predominantly) mosquito borne illness that can cause serious birth defects, and it is spreading ? I just saw that there was a sexually transmitted case in Texas ?

Is this on anybodies radar?


----------



## Balls004 (Feb 28, 2015)

It's been on my radar for about a month, even though it doesn't affect me or my wife directly. Might have an effect on when we become grandparents though...

Looks like mother nature has thrown another curveball from the rainforest. Just when we start thinking we know it all, she goes "I'm still you're momma!"


----------



## kd4ulw (Feb 11, 2015)

I heard a news article today on the radio saying that if someone had contracted Zika they would not want him to have unprotected sex for one month after the symptoms were gone. I don't know if that just pertains to men being sick first, but that's what The guidelines are for the Ebola virus, also.


----------



## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

cowboyhermit said:


> I am on a very strict diet of news for a variety of reasons, perhaps people on here have some more information so I can avoid looking at endless pictures of babies with birth defects.
> 
> Basically it is a (predominantly) mosquito borne illness that can cause serious birth defects, and it is spreading ? I just saw that there was a sexually transmitted case in Texas ?
> 
> Is this on anybodies radar?


Sounds a bit like it might be something developed in a CIA lab somewhere, read one article claiming Zika came about after the release of genetically engineered mosquitoes, I've heard from time to time that GE non reproducing male mosquitoes are released to reduce populations of female mosquitoes that carry diseases in certain areas of the world. Sometimes when you mess with mother nature it'll seriously bite you back.


----------



## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Balls004 said:


> It's been on my radar for about a month, even though it doesn't affect me or my wife directly. Might have an effect on when we become grandparents though...
> 
> Looks like mother nature has thrown another curveball from the rainforest. Just when we start thinking we know it all, she goes "I'm still you're momma!"


In general I try to not devote too much head-space to things like this. Even when West-Nile virus was a big concern in my area (and I know people who really got nailed by it), I wasn't that worried myself.

The fact that it affects babies though, and now can be sexually transmitted as well ... Just a nasty thing to think about.


----------



## ras1219como (Jan 15, 2013)

My understanding is that most cases of the Zika virus are mild with cases requiring hospitalization being very rare. As I understand it all of the cases in the US have originated from subjects that have returned from travel outside the country. There have only been a few cases of localized spread of the virus in the US. The CDC has issued travel advisories for the countries that are experiencing outbreaks. Apparently Brazil is being bit hard by it.


----------



## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

kd4ulw said:


> I heard a news article today on the radio saying that if someone had contracted Zika they would not want him to have unprotected sex for one month after the symptoms were gone. I don't know if that just pertains to men being sick first, but that's what The guidelines are for the Ebola virus, also.


I read a little on it, got to "blood in semen" :surrender:



Viking said:


> Sounds a bit like it might be something developed in a CIA lab somewhere, read one article claiming Zika came about after the release of genetically engineered mosquitoes, I've heard from time to time that GE non reproducing male mosquitoes are released to reduce populations of female mosquitoes that carry diseases in certain areas of the world. Sometimes when you mess with mother nature it'll seriously bite you back.


I really hope that's not true, somehow the idea of it being human caused makes it worse, though I guess wherever it came from it still sounds nasty.


----------



## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

shutterstock_53362708
The Zika virus, the subject of one of our recent articles, is spreading throughout the hemisphere after crossing the Atlantic from Africa and Asia. At present, cases have been reported in every country except for Canada and Chile. News articles regarding the tragic consequences it has on pregnancies are published daily. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has gone so far as to issue travel advisories warning pregnant women to stay away from countries with widespread outbreaks, like Brazil.

Interestingly, in Africa, Zika virus is thought to be a mild pest, causing minor illness; in fact, 80% of those infected have no symptoms at all. It is not associated with birth defects like microcephaly where it is traditionally found. It has been shown to occasionally cause a rare nerve disorder called "Guillain-Barre Syndrome", which presents with muscle weakness leading to possible paralysis. Some recover fully, but many have long-term issues and 5% die from respiratory arrest and other complications. This is not, by the way, a disease related to pregnancy.

Yet, this virus is now becoming an issue that some predict may affect up to 100,000 newborns. It isn't hard to imagine that this will tax the resources of poor countries that are dealing with it.Why is a virus that isn't a big problem in its original territory suddenly causing these heartbreaking deformities? Zika is an equatorial disease spread by mosquitoes, conditions that are present in both Brazil and Africa. Why should it have so different a presentation in one part of the world than another?

It is my opinion that we dealing with a viral "mutation". Viruses are well-known for their ability to change genetically. These changes, or mutations, may either be insignificant or have major consequences. Luckily, most are the former, and this is the reason why influenza vaccines work to prevent illness. This year's flu is usually similar to last year's, and flu vaccines are made from components of last year's virus. If an influenza virus mutates significantly, it usually causes many more cases and, often, deaths as we have less immunity to it.

Imagine if Ebola, which caused a regional epidemic in West Africa in 2014, had mutated to become easily transmissible through the air? It would have been more challenging to control and could have reached pandemic status.

Despite this, I can find nothing in the news that mentions the possibility that the virus has mutated. If we are to have success in producing treatment or prevention of this viral illness (none exists at present), we will have to take into account the chance that this Zika virus is not the same as the original.

Joe Alton, MD

http://www.doomandbloom.net/zika-vi...URSE+AMY'S+..........Doom+and+Bloom(tm)+Show)


----------



## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

ras1219como said:


> My understanding is that most cases of the Zika virus are mild with cases requiring hospitalization being very rare. As I understand it all of the cases in the US have originated from subjects that have returned from travel outside the country. There have only been a few cases of localized spread of the virus in the US. The CDC has issued travel advisories for the countries that are experiencing outbreaks. Apparently Brazil is being bit hard by it.


I will probably look it up, but I wonder what are the chances of it becoming endemic in N.American mosquito populations?


----------



## ras1219como (Jan 15, 2013)

cowboyhermit said:


> I will probably look it up, but I wonder what are the chances of it becoming endemic in N.American mosquito populations?


I got my information from the CDC website not too long ago.


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Because of the pregnancy I did a lot of research about Zika.

It started its spread in Africa in 1947.










It has been detected in semen and they think it can be transmitted this way. Seeing now there is a confirmed case in Texas of a woman getting the virus from a male partner who returned from Venezuela. There are cases in other countries were the blood tests come out clean but the virus is found in the urine and semen. Before this case in Texas it was said you could get the virus from infected mosquito.

Pregnant women can pass the virus to their fetuses where it will cause microcephaly or the brain to stop developing and the skull to remain small. There is a broad spectrum of what the child's life will be like with the condition from fully functional like Ana Carolina Caceres (Brazilian journalist) or a short and painful life in a vegetative state before they die.

A lot of the Zika scare comes because Brazil is having a very bad outbreak and high birth rate with microcephaly. With the Rio Olympics around the corner it is in the front of everyone's mind.


----------



## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

Here's my problem with zika, the flavor of the day...

this is the REALITY of the world we live in and we do NOTHING... actually we do less than nothing. We early release the offenders.


----------



## Sybil6 (Jan 28, 2013)

I've read on it and honestly I'm not too concerned. Safe sex should be a priority for anyone not in a committed relationship and unless I see a drastic increase in bug-transmitted cases, I won't be worried. Especially since the effects aren't that severe on anyone except developing fetuses (and pretty much any illness is on the scale of Bad to Really Really BAD for fetuses.)


----------



## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Zika discovered in 1947 (date provide by Grimm) and just now it's hitting the news?

IMHO a few Scientists are drumming up financial support for new grants resulting in the media's "The sky is falling" alarm.


----------



## 892 (Nov 15, 2008)

Good morning all - been a long time since I've been here. Still so many interesting ideas and opinions.

Years ago I read a book by Peter Duesberg - INVENTING THE AIDS VIRUS. Yes, so much of what we've been told about HIV is a lie too. The Zika virus seems the same to me. A way to cause mass fear. I'm attaching some articles with interesting info. I trust this info much more than trusting anything from WHO or CDC.


The first two documents are from facebook - just say no if you are asked if you want to allow access to facebook. The document will still open.


----------

