|
Post by gar on Jan 28, 2016 18:01:03 GMT
The WHO has today said that they predict 4 million cases across the Americas this year. With the possibility of El Nino weather patterns greatly increasing mosquito populations in many areas it looks as though this is going to a tough one to get on top of as it's so hard to eradicate the mosquitoes and to treat all the stagnant water areas where they live and breed.
I'm not particularly alarmed by it personally because I am not going to be getting pregnant and also because the UK isn't currently at high risk because of our cooler climate but this apparently has 'pandemic potential' so I'll be watching the progress of it of course. At least the WHO and other agencies seem to be jumping all over this quicker than they did with the Ebola crisis.
So are any of you re-thinking travel plans for example?
|
|
|
Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Jan 28, 2016 18:26:27 GMT
So are any of you re-thinking travel plans for example? Well, I had no travel plans, so that point for me is moot. But I do worry about this virus and how it will affect our population. I feel like it is a possibility that in 5-10 years' time, we are going to have a vast number of children who will need a lot of special care due to being infected with the Zika virus in the womb, and the health problems that it caused them.
|
|
|
Post by teepea on Jan 28, 2016 18:28:01 GMT
While I'm not planning to travel in any area that is badly affected, my dd and sil are vacationing in Punta Cana in May. I'm concerned and wish they'd reconsider because they are considering pregnancy at some point this year. I've heard on the news that it's already at pandemic level.
|
|
|
Post by gar on Jan 28, 2016 18:30:26 GMT
While I'm not planning to travel in any area that is badly affected, my dd and sil are vacationing in Punta Cana in May. I'm concerned and wish they'd reconsider because they are considering pregnancy at some point this year. I've heard on the news that it's already at pandemic level. I would be concerned too.
|
|
|
Post by lucyg on Jan 28, 2016 18:31:39 GMT
I'm concerned about what it may do to childbirth rates until the epidemic is under control, too.
|
|
|
Post by gar on Jan 28, 2016 18:36:49 GMT
I'm concerned about what it may do to childbirth rates until the epidemic is under control, too. I was thinking about that too. The knock on effects are likely going to be huge. The children that are born affected will need a high level of care and that is going to be very costly too.
|
|
pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
|
Post by pudgygroundhog on Jan 28, 2016 18:38:46 GMT
The WHO has today said that they predict 4 million cases across the Americas this year. With the possibility of El Nino weather patterns greatly increasing mosquito populations in many areas it looks as though this is going to a tough one to get on top of as it's so hard to eradicate the mosquitoes and to treat all the stagnant water areas where they live and breed. I'm not particularly alarmed by it personally because I am not going to be getting pregnant and also because the UK isn't currently at high risk because of our cooler climate but this apparently has 'pandemic potential' so I'll be watching the progress of it of course. At least the WHO and other agencies seem to be jumping all over this quicker than they did with the Ebola crisis. So are any of you re-thinking travel plans for example? We are going to Peru this summer, but I'm not particularly worried about it as we'll be in the mountains. But overall the virus is very concerning for those affected. I read that El Salvador was recommending women just don't get pregnant, but that seems like a tough sell. Particularly for a country with a high number of Catholics. What are some of the main eaters of mosquitoes in those environments? Is there any risk to other animal populations? I would probably be putting up bat boxes if I lived down there.
|
|
|
Post by RiverIsis on Jan 28, 2016 18:44:33 GMT
So are any of you re-thinking travel plans for example? Well, I had no travel plans, so that point for me is moot. But I do worry about this virus and how it will affect our population. I feel like it is a possibility that in 5-10 years' time, we are going to have a vast number of children who will need a lot of special care due to being infected with the Zika virus in the womb, and the health problems that it caused them. I'm past those years but I honestly don't think I could knowingly bring a child into the world with microcephaly. This is also in Brazil, the host for the Olympics this summer.
|
|
|
Post by bc2ca on Jan 28, 2016 18:45:56 GMT
It is scary how quickly it is spreading.
|
|
|
Post by beanbuddymom on Jan 28, 2016 18:51:07 GMT
I'm not planning any travel, but I do worry about the Olympic games in Rio being affected - the athletes and anyone working on or attending the games.
|
|
BarbaraUK
Drama Llama
Surrounded by my yarn stash on the NE coast of England...............!! Refupea 1702
Posts: 5,961
Location: England UK
Jun 27, 2014 12:47:11 GMT
|
Post by BarbaraUK on Jan 28, 2016 18:54:11 GMT
It's awful how quickly this virus has gone from a fairly mild threat to one of such proportions so quickly. Its so sad that the prediction is that about four million people could be affected by it this year. Thank goodness the reaction to it has been pretty quick this time so hopefully it won't be long before a vaccine will be available along with finding out more about how it is carried by mosquitoes so that a solution can be found for that as well. We seem to have about sorted the Ebola crisis and now another one starts!
|
|
|
Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Jan 28, 2016 19:08:49 GMT
|
|
|
Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Jan 28, 2016 19:10:34 GMT
I'm past those years but I honestly don't think I could knowingly bring a child into the world with microcephaly. But there is a large population of women who would bring a child into the world with microcephaly, because they refuse abortion, no matter what.
|
|
|
Post by gar on Jan 28, 2016 19:14:46 GMT
Thank goodness the reaction to it has been pretty quick this time so hopefully it won't be long before a vaccine will be available I heard that it could be 5 years+
|
|
|
Post by crimsoncat05 on Jan 28, 2016 19:16:15 GMT
It's awful how quickly this virus has gone from a fairly mild threat to one of such proportions so quickly. Its so sad that the prediction is that about four million people could be affected by it this year. Thank goodness the reaction to it has been pretty quick this time so hopefully it won't be long before a vaccine will be available along with finding out more about how it is carried by mosquitoes so that a solution can be found for that as well. We seem to have about sorted the Ebola crisis and now another one starts! I heard a news story about this on the radio last evening (BBC news, on public radio) and the researcher they spoke to said developing the vaccine itself won't be the problem; it will be the regulatory approval of the vaccine in the different countries, which could take many years after the vaccine is developed.
|
|
BarbaraUK
Drama Llama
Surrounded by my yarn stash on the NE coast of England...............!! Refupea 1702
Posts: 5,961
Location: England UK
Jun 27, 2014 12:47:11 GMT
|
Post by BarbaraUK on Jan 28, 2016 19:18:03 GMT
Yes, it's already in most of South America and in Mexico so the quicker a system for 'deactivating' the mosquitoes, and a way to be able to discover the presence of the virus as most cases show no symptoms, and a vaccine and treatment is developed, the better!
|
|
|
Post by monklady123 on Jan 28, 2016 19:27:28 GMT
I'm not concerned for me personally since I'm loooong past the age of getting pregnant. And hopefully dd is looooong before the age of getting pregnant. However, it's so awful for everyone who has been infected, and those who will be, and for the spread of it. I haven't done much reading yet to see how they're fighting it, although I feel like something spread by mosquitos is a teeny bit easier to deal with than something like say ebola. And, I heard that MSNBC (I think that was the station) called this virus "airborne". There you go, a nice way to spread panic. oy. It's "airborne" in the same way malaria is or any other disease caused by mosquitoes -- the mosquitos fly! But not airborne in the way health care defines it. Now I need to go read up on this.
|
|
BarbaraUK
Drama Llama
Surrounded by my yarn stash on the NE coast of England...............!! Refupea 1702
Posts: 5,961
Location: England UK
Jun 27, 2014 12:47:11 GMT
|
Post by BarbaraUK on Jan 28, 2016 19:29:38 GMT
It's awful how quickly this virus has gone from a fairly mild threat to one of such proportions so quickly. Its so sad that the prediction is that about four million people could be affected by it this year. Thank goodness the reaction to it has been pretty quick this time so hopefully it won't be long before a vaccine will be available along with finding out more about how it is carried by mosquitoes so that a solution can be found for that as well. We seem to have about sorted the Ebola crisis and now another one starts! I heard a news story about this on the radio last evening (BBC news, on public radio) and the researcher they spoke to said developing the vaccine itself won't be the problem; it will be the regulatory approval of the vaccine in the different countries, which could take many years after the vaccine is developed. Yes, that's the huge downside to these things - the vaccines can be developed relatively quickly but the approval of the vaccine could take ages. I know that public safety is paramount with these things before they can be released on a large scale - and quite rightly considering what has happened recently in Paris with the limited testing of a drug - but hopefully a way will be found to cut this to a safe minimum time in cases like this where it is desperately needed. Here's hoping that dealing with the mosquitoes will be a much quicker process.
|
|
|
Post by crimsoncat05 on Jan 28, 2016 19:40:44 GMT
I think in cases of pandemic diseases like this, the regulatory agencies do sometimes expedite the approval process, since it's such a wide-spread and easily-spread thing... hopefully that will be the case with this one!
|
|
|
Post by melanieg on Jan 28, 2016 19:47:16 GMT
We are still going on our Panama Cruise in March. Im not worried as I have no plans to get pregnant. My friend is ok with it too as she is long past kids. We will have our deet with us for Costa Rica and Panama tours.
|
|
|
Post by yivit on Jan 28, 2016 19:48:20 GMT
We just had the second confirmed case reported today in the Houston area. Both women had recently traveled to Central America. The first was reported by the county health department and the second was by the city health department.
|
|
caangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,461
Location: So Cal
Jun 26, 2014 16:42:12 GMT
|
Post by caangel on Jan 28, 2016 19:49:04 GMT
I haven't read much on this but can someone clarify if the risk is just to women/babies who have the illness when they conceive or anytime after they have had the illness even if they are healthy again? Is there a waiting period after which it would be safe for women who have contracted the illness to conceive?
|
|
scrapaddie
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,090
Jul 8, 2014 20:17:31 GMT
|
Post by scrapaddie on Jan 28, 2016 19:59:15 GMT
I was just in El Salvador when the government issued this statement that women should delay having babies until 2018. None of the women I was working with had heard anything about it. They are poor and many do not have TVs and they do not read or have newspapers. They probably won't hear about it until they go to church. The bishop issued a statement saying that he was caught unaware it was not ready to make a statement but did not sound like he would go against the government in this case
|
|
|
Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Jan 28, 2016 19:59:40 GMT
I haven't read much on this but can someone clarify if the risk is just to women/babies who have the illness when they conceive or anytime after they have had the illness even if they are healthy again? Is there a waiting period after which it would be safe for women who have contracted the illness to conceive? I'd like to know this as well.
|
|
|
Post by crimsoncat05 on Jan 28, 2016 20:18:03 GMT
sooo... If it's a health hazard to get pregnant, and these are heavily-Catholic areas (I'm assuming) where they frown on birth control, to say the least... what is the Church going to do? come out and say birth control is okay but just in this one instance? (that is, if people even have access to birth control methods in some of these areas- and what if the people themselves are adamantly Catholic to the point of not wanting to use birth control anyway?
...just a few aspects of it that could get messy, in a philosophical sense...
|
|
|
Post by gar on Jan 28, 2016 20:18:20 GMT
I haven't read much on this but can someone clarify if the risk is just to women/babies who have the illness when they conceive or anytime after they have had the illness even if they are healthy again? Is there a waiting period after which it would be safe for women who have contracted the illness to conceive? I believe, from the relatively little I've read that the illness can be transferred to the baby in the womb if the mother is bitten during pregnancy. I haven't read that it remains a danger for future pregnancies but I would guess that there's a lot that isn't known yet.
|
|
|
Post by Scrapper100 on Jan 28, 2016 20:22:50 GMT
Isn't this something that can remain dormant in your body for a decade so you may not even know you have it. Maybe I am thinking of another disease that was in the news lately I know it was something transmitted by mosquito.
This is really scary and I wonder why we are only hearing about it now when has spread and it's likely to effect us directly.
ETA. I just looked it up and that is another disease but I can't figure out which one. Looks like Zika is mild except to fetuses.
|
|
|
Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Jan 28, 2016 20:26:43 GMT
So are any of you re-thinking travel plans for example? We have a large group of family and friends going on a week-long cruise in the Western Caribbean next month. There are a number of young women of child-bearing years in the family group, but none currently pregnant. We have all received e-mails from the cruise line about the issue including what precautions they recommend we take. It's concerning, but nothing at this point that we would change our plans over given the type of trip it is and where we are going.
|
|
|
Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Jan 28, 2016 20:33:01 GMT
sooo... If it's a health hazard to get pregnant, and these are heavily-Catholic areas (I'm assuming) where they frown on birth control, to say the least... what is the Church going to do? come out and say birth control is okay but just in this one instance? (that is, if people even have access to birth control methods in some of these areas- and what if the people themselves are adamantly Catholic to the point of not wanting to use birth control anyway? ...just a few aspects of it that could get messy, in a philosophical sense... I seriously doubt they would give their blessing to their congregations to abort fetuses with birth defects. Perhaps they see abstaining as the better alternative.
|
|
BarbaraUK
Drama Llama
Surrounded by my yarn stash on the NE coast of England...............!! Refupea 1702
Posts: 5,961
Location: England UK
Jun 27, 2014 12:47:11 GMT
|
Post by BarbaraUK on Jan 28, 2016 20:40:38 GMT
I haven't read much on this but can someone clarify if the risk is just to women/babies who have the illness when they conceive or anytime after they have had the illness even if they are healthy again? Is there a waiting period after which it would be safe for women who have contracted the illness to conceive? The only thing I've read is that the virus is spread by the Aedes mosquito, gives flu like symptoms which normally lasts for about a week and it isn't contagious. Pregnant woman can infect their babies if they get bitten and get the virus. I haven't come across anything yet that indicates it gives risk problems to further babies after the woman has recovered from the virus. Countries are asking women to delay getting pregnant as a safeguard because they need to work out the best way to avoid getting bitten by that mosquito and contracting the virus it seems. I also haven't read anything yet about a safe waiting period. Hopefully someone will come across definite answers to your questions.
|
|