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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. "
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Zika Virus and Birth Defects
(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