According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been more than 4,000 cases of Zika reported in the continental US and almost 30,000 in US territories.
For most people Zika is a fairly harmless mosquito borne virus, it causes minor discomfort in some people and is usually over in a week. But for pregnant women, Zika can lead to major birth defects. An estimated 64 million pregnancies are at risk globally. Experts fear limited testing capacity combined with symptoms that can sometimes take a year to manifest in infants, could be causing a hidden epidemic.
On this episode of America Abroad we examine the response to Zika and America’s role in the global effort to fight infectious diseases. Also we compare Singapore to India in their efforts to eradicate mosquito borne viruses. Finally we discuss what individuals can do to protect themselves against Zika.
Photo Credit: Frankie Leon.
- Thomas Bollyky: Senior Fellow for Global Health, Economics, and Development, Council on Foreign Relations
- Dr. Michael Callahan: CEO and Co-Founder, Zika Foundation
- Dr. Tom Frieden: Director, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Laurie Garrett: Senior Fellow for Global Health, Council on Foreign Relations
- Rebecca Katz: Associate Professor in International Health, Georgetown University
- Dr. Julius Lutwama: Lead Virologist, The Uganda Virus Research Institute
- Sammy Mack: Health Reporter, WLRN in Miami
- J. Stephen Morrison: Senior Vice President and Director, Global Health Policy Center, Center for Strategic & International Studies
- Dr. Stephen Morse: Professor of Epidemiology, Columbia University School of Public Health
- Dr. Stephen Redd: Director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention