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from the invest-in-mosquito-nets-and-DEET dept.
New research has found that over 2 billion people live in parts of the world where the Zika virus can spread via mosquitoes:
More than two billion people live in parts of the world where the Zika virus can spread, detailed maps published in the journal eLife show. The Zika virus, which is spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, triggered a global health emergency this year. Last week the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that the virus causes severe birth defects.
The latest research showed mapping Zika was more complex than simply defining where the mosquito can survive. One of the researchers, Dr Oliver Brady from the University of Oxford, told the BBC: "These are the first maps to come out that really use the data we have for Zika - earlier maps were based on Zika being like dengue or chikungunya. "We are the first to add the very precise geographic and environmental conditions data we have on Zika." By learning where Zika could thrive the researchers could then predict where else may be affected. The researchers confirmed that large areas of South America, the focus of the current outbreak, are susceptible.
To put that in perspective, a recent estimate states: "The world population (the total number of living humans on Earth) was 7.349 billion as of July 1, 2015 according to the medium fertility estimate by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. "
Related:
El Salvador Advises Against Pregnancy until 2018 over Zika Virus Birth Defect Fears
World Health Organization to Convene Emergency Meeting for Zika Virus
WHO Calls Zika Virus Outbreak an International Health Emergency
First U.S. Zika Virus Transmission Reported, Likely via Sex Rather than Mosquito Bite
Maybe “It’s Not the Zika Virus”
Pope Francis's Plane Reports Laser Incident
Zika Virus and Birth Defects
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 21 2016, @10:06PM
The mosquitos came for the 2 billion people, but i wasn't one of them, so i didn't give a damn.
Then
Sharknado!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 21 2016, @11:28PM
The German language is very efficient. For instance, one simply appends an "s" to indicate possession,
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Thursday April 21 2016, @10:09PM
So, we have a new virus that threatens to render people incapable of reproducing effectively, and primarily targets the poorest, tropical regions of the world, where it's going to be damnably difficult to stamp out. Am I the only one to think this might be some mad scientist's idea of population control?
I mean we're assuming it's just that these folks have never been exposed before to acquire immunity, and in a generation at worst it will cease to be an issue, but what would it take to make sure any immunity is only temporary?
At the very least it seems poised to motivate a large swath of the world's fastest-growing populations to get serious about making reproductive control socially acceptable a serious priority.
(Score: 2) by ikanreed on Thursday April 21 2016, @10:10PM
It doesn't render them incapable of reproducing. It makes babies who will have miserable lives.
(Score: 3, Touché) by PartTimeZombie on Thursday April 21 2016, @10:20PM
So, we have a new virus that threatens to render people incapable of reproducing effectively
There's a qualifier in there ikanreed.
(Score: 2, Flamebait) by ikanreed on Thursday April 21 2016, @10:24PM
I don't know. People born without brains seem pretty effective at posting on soylentnews.
(Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 21 2016, @11:10PM
Case in point [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 21 2016, @11:11PM
Sheesh, bit reactive there.... won't really work too well as population control, just increase the number of disabled people.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 21 2016, @11:11PM
Well, turns out he kan't.
(Score: 2) by Gravis on Friday April 22 2016, @12:17AM
nature has never needed our help to create scary and insidious diseases.
(Score: 2) by bitstream on Friday April 22 2016, @02:30AM
Disease and famine has been the way nature keeps a population balance for perhaps 500 million years? No news.
What is news is our desire and capability to get rid of horrific diseases.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Friday April 22 2016, @04:17AM
And yet that hasn't stopped militaries the world over from trying to give it a helping hand.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday April 22 2016, @12:14AM
Arguably, Zika has long been present in populated areas.
It seems lots of people do get it, and brush it off because they're not pregnant ... BECAUSE it's so prevalent that they get it as kids.
The problem seems mostly to be when people get it later.
The easy solution is therefore to rush to infect all children worldwide, in middle school (when moms or big sisters are least likely to be expecting).
You can send my check to the usual address.
(Score: 2) by SanityCheck on Friday April 22 2016, @12:57AM
My company decided to "reward" us with a trip to Mexico. Well technically it was Mexico or Florida, but the idiots voted for Mexico. So my fiancee cannot go since she is pregnant. And upon return I will have to "suit up" for at least 6 month as a precaution... Good times...
(Score: 3, Funny) by takyon on Friday April 22 2016, @03:59AM
Are you considering not going on your company trip to fuck prostitutes, drink tequila, and get bitten by mosquitoes?
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by bitstream on Friday April 22 2016, @02:53AM
The article Mapping global environmental suitability for Zika virus [amazonaws.com] on page 20 gives a good clue on which geographical areas to avoid. At this time definitely Brazil, Mexico, mid-west Africa, and parts of Asia around Thailand and the equator.
It seems most people get sick with fever for a week and nothing more unless pregnant. In some cases like an outbreak in French Polynesia in 2013-2014 out of 8723 cases Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) occured in in 42 people, encephalitis, meningoencephalitis, paraesthesia, facial paralysis or myelitis in 25. So a 0.85% chance to have complications in other words.
Now we can calmly await the a super virus that actually will kill in droves.. :p
(Score: 2) by butthurt on Friday April 22 2016, @03:47PM
If it's spread via sex, it could be contracted by people anywhere. If 10% of the people outside the mosquito-prone areas engage in sex, that's over 500 million potential victims.