U.S. Preparing for War Against the Zika Virus

U.S. Preparing for War Against the Zika Virus

Most people may not hear anything yet. I don’t. Do you? The soft hum of approaching mosquitos carrying the Zika virus across the border and into the United States is enough to keep scientists awake at night. Every morning by eight o’clock science experts in everything from infectious disease to birth defects congregate at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to man the agency’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), a kind of mission control center for public health. And they’re all trying to crack the code of the Zika virus before it hits U.S. soil.

This is the fourth time in history that the United States has activated its EOC to a Level 1. These scientists are doing everything they can to prepare for the coming of the Zika virus. They are studying all cases of the virus, examining our countries ability to protect itself, finding better and faster methods of diagnosing the virus, and studying pregnant women infected with the Zika virus. With all of this work, they have made some progress. They have confirmed the link between the Zika virus and microcephaly. Better diagnostic tools have been sent to state laboratories. They have set up studies of infected people in the United States and abroad.

Unfortunately, we still have a lot of work to do before we can say we’re prepared for the Zika virus. The U.S.’s ability to track the mosquitos carrying the virus is not adequate, as the only system we have called ArboNET is a good 15 years out of date. Mosquito control at the state level is also not up to snuff. Places with enough funding for full mosquito protection with teams with pesticide spraying vehicles are scattered throughout the country. So, we still have a ways to go before the country can be considered safe.

What more could officials do to prepare the country for the Zika virus? What can you personally do to increase awareness and help people prepare?