tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post7556436574102594296..comments2024-03-28T15:30:35.153-07:00Comments on The Hitchhiker's Guide to National Affairs: Zika Virus Will Probably Spread to the U.S.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-14171573295196691922016-01-28T00:45:32.931-08:002016-01-28T00:45:32.931-08:00Thank you Alton for your post. The interesting thi...Thank you Alton for your post. The interesting thing about mosquito-borne diseases is that these diseases are much more restrictive (in terms of its ability to infect people) than air-borne diseases. Chickenpox and smallpox spread very easily and rapidly, and I claim that these diseases are much more dangerous if we don't have the types of vaccines that we do presently. I don't think that the US will have a big problem with this disease; however, that is not to say that the disease will not arrive on US soil. Mosquito populations change very dependently on the weather, and given our non-tropical weather in most areas of the United States, the virus won't be very successful. <br /><br />While reading your post, it reminded me of another article that I read about Chikungunya in the Caribbeans. I think that the situation present in the Caribbeans is very similar since the disease is spread through mosquitos. It is no coincidence that the virus is successful in another warm, humid climate. <br />Here is the CDC link for some information: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/watch/chikungunya-caribbean <br /><br />With respect to solutions, I believe that mosquito nets are very important to prevent many mosquito-borne diseases, especially when one is camping outside or living in tropical environments. I don't believe that genetically modifying mosquitoes will be feasible due to the sheer number of these creatures and the possible repercussions to the food web. <br /><br />Do you think antibiotic resistance poses a bigger problem than mosquito-borne diseases, such as Zika? To what extent should the US provide assistance to those affected with this disease?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com