Women Facing a Zika Testing “Catch-22”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has placed strict guidelines on who can be tested for Zika virus. Labs all over the country are backed up with the increased demand for Zika testing because the test is a lengthy three-step procedure (Rabin). While these tests may not be very invasive, and may not require multiple samples, the process is dependent on many different factors (travel history, date of onset, immunization record) (Memorandum). First, a test is done for active virus in the blood or urine; however, this is only effective within the first two weeks after contraction (Rabin). Next, a test for antibodies is done. Since many people don’t show symptoms, these two tests are effectively useless because negatives results do not conclusively show that the patient was never exposed to the virus (Rabin). Lastly, a Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test (PRNT) is conducted, which is a test used for many different types of mosquito born illnesses, including Chikungunya and Dengue (Alvarez, Memorandum, Rabin). At the moment though, this last test is only being conducted by a small number of labs, including the CDC itself (Rabin).

The problem many women are now facing is the lack of preemptive testing. Women will not be tested unless they are pregnant, but women don’t want to get pregnant until they are tested. With over 70 cases reported in Florida, it seems reasonable that women trying to conceive would be apprehensive about fetal health because they could have been exposed to the virus, yet remain unaware of their status (Alvarez). Florida in particular  has been backlogged with tests (Alvarez). In response, the CDC has sent down technicians to help move the testing along, as testing is time sensitive (Alvarez). However, the tests take 4-5 weeks to analyze, so speed may be difficult to come by (Rabin). As a result of their efforts, over 2,500 pregnant women have received free testing thanks to the CDC, but they are running out of funds quickly (Alvarez).

References:

Alvarez, Lizette. "Florida Gets Help to Deal With Backlog of Zika Tests." The New York Times. The New York Times, 14 Sept. 2016. Web.

"Memorandum." Linguistics 9.66 (2016): n. pag. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 7 Feb. 2016. Web.

Rabin, Roni Caryn. "Want a Zika Test? It’s Not Easy." The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 Sept. 2016. Web.

Promising New Legislation for Flint’s Water Crisis

Flint, Michigan has been suffering from a water emergency for over three years. Budget cuts in Michigan ended up affecting basic necessities, including drinking water. Bankole Thompson, a reporter for the Detroit News, is calling this “Michigan’s Katrina.” He says that the state has created this problem for itself by ignoring important findings regarding resident’s health over the past few years. Following the initial discovery of the lead crisis, the mayor, backed by the Department of Environmental Quality, discredited residents’ concerns and said that the water was up to standards (Fonger). However, the takeover by the EPA a year later would suggest otherwise (Davey). Studies done by Virginia Tech showed that there is, in fact, an increased level of lead in the water supply (Davey). Unfortunately, this research went ignored, and the residents’  pleas for clean water only intensified.

Overall, there has been a seemingly apathetic response from the local and state governments. Since the switch of the pipelines from Lake Huron to the Flint River, there have been reports of elevated levels of lead in children’s blood (Davey). In addition, there have been only limited warnings about the spreading of Legionnaire’s disease – a severe type of pneumonia that can be spread through contaminated water sources (Davey, Legionnaire’s Disease). Finally , there have been state level restrictions preventing the city from switching their water source back to Lake Huron until the pipeline is completed, leaving the locals of Flint desperate for relief (Davey).

After switching the water source to the Flint River, forgoing corrosion controls, failing to issue proper alerts, and ignoring research and alerts from researchers and medical professionals, Flint Michigan may finally be seeing some relief from a new piece of legislation passed in the Senate (Davenport). The Water Resources and Development Act is meant to aid poor communities, including Flint, that are affected by lead-contaminated water supplies (Davenport). Funding allocated by the new piece of legislation could help purify the water supply and get clean water to an increasing number of people (Davenport). There is much potential for this act to have positive effects on the water supply in Flint, however, whether or not the funding will come through is another issue altogether. The bill awaits deliberation in the House, where the amount of spending will be determined, should the bill be passed. But with a 95-3 vote in the Senate, the its prospects are looking good.

References:

Davenport, Coral. "Senate Approves Funding for Flint Water Crisis." The New York Times. The New York Times, 15 Sept. 2016. Web.

Davey, Monica, and Mitch Smith. "What Went Wrong in Flint." The New York Times. The New York Times, 03 Mar. 2016. Web.

Fonger, Ron. "City Adding More Lime to Flint River Water as Resident Complaints Pour in." MLive.com. Advance Digital, 12 June 2014. Web.

"Legionnaires' Disease." Encyclopedic Dictionary of Genetics, Genomics and Proteomics (2004): n. pag. CDC, 18 July 2016. Web.

Thompson, Bankole. "Thompson: Flint Crisis Is Michigan's Katrina." Detroit News. The Detroit News, 13 Jan. 2016. Web.

Zika Virus Won’t Stop Rio Olympics

With less than two months until the start of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that the games should not be cancelled due to the recent Zika virus outbreak in the region (Mcneil and Tavernise). The WHO does not anticipate any increased consequences from travel to Brazil – the Zika virus is expected to spread to the southern United States regardless (Mcneil). With the recent impeachment of Brazilian President Rousseff, the severe recession, and the large spike in police killings, postponing or moving the 2016 Olympics would only send Brazil into further political and economic turmoil (Waldron).

The Zika virus can be transmitted through mosquitos, sex, blood transfusions, and from mother-to-child during pregnancy, but can be avoided with simple precautionary measures. Only 1 in 4 people present symptoms, which can last for up to a week. Symptoms are mild enough that most people do not require hospitalization, and many never realize that they contracted the virus (Symptoms, Diagnosis,  & Treatment). Though it is still advised that pregnant women should not attend the games due to the heightened risk of fetal microcephaly, other travellers, at risk for mild and short-lived symptoms, can protect themselves from the virus with measures that would be taken for any other mosquito transmitted diseases (Symptoms, Diagnosis, & Treatment). The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an Alert for the Summer Olympics (2016 Summer Olympics). They advise travellers to take preventative measures against mosquito bites by using insect repellent, covering exposed skin and staying in air-conditioned or screened rooms (Avoid Bug Bites).

The Zika virus is not the only threat posed to outsiders during the 2016 Summer Olympics. Travellers must also take precautionary measures against crime, foodborne illnesses, and other mosquito-borne illnesses, including dengue fever and malaria (2016 Summer Olympics). The CDC recommends seeking medical attention for any health concerns that may arise following the games.

References

"2016 Summer Olympics (Rio 2016)." – Alert Level 2. N.p., 2 June 2016.

"Avoid Bug Bites." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC, 22 Apr. 2016.

Mcneil, Donald G., and Sabrina Tavernise. "W.H.O. Says Olympics Should Go Ahead in Brazil Despite Zika Virus." The New York Times. The New York Times, 14 June 2016.

"Symptoms, Diagnosis, & Treatment." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26 Apr. 2016.

Waldron, Travis. "Everything Is Going Wrong in Brazil Ahead of the Olympics." Huffington Post. Huffington Post, 23 Mar. 2016.