Zika Threat Retreats, But Localities Still Look For New Ways To Fight Mosquito-Borne Diseases
Health officials say that the risk of contracting the virus in the Americas is receding, but that there is still a danger. Meanwhile, researchers look for easy, low-cost Zika testing as well as at the health impact of pesticides being used to combat mosquitoes.
NPR:
Zika Travel Advice Still Holds For Pregnant Women And Their Mates
There's no doubt about it: Zika is on the retreat in the Americas. In Brazil, cases are down by 95 percent from last year. Across the Caribbean, outbreaks have subsided. And in Florida, the virus seems to have gone into hiding. Health officials haven't investigated a new Zika case for more than 45 days in Miami-Dade County. (Doucleff, 6/12)
Orlando Sentinel:
Florida Researchers Develop Cheap, Fast Test For Zika, But Widespread Use May Be Years Away
Florida researchers have developed a new device for detecting the Zika virus quickly and cheaply — although it might take years for it to come to market. Called the “Diagnoskeeter,” the portable, low-cost testing kit processes samples in 30 minutes and is “meant to [test for] all the families of the Zika virus,” said co-creator Ozlem Yaren, of the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution in Alachua. (Cheatham, 6/9)
The Star Tribune:
Pesticide Used To Fight Zika Is Tied To Motor-Skill Deficits
The pesticide widely used to fight Zika-carrying mosquitoes in Florida and across the nation has been linked to deficits in motor functions in Chinese babies, according to a new study. The study, whose authors say it is the first to examine real-world exposure to naled outside workplace accidents or lab experiments, used cord blood from 237 mothers who gave birth to healthy babies at a hospital in southeast China between 2008 and 2011. (Staletovich, 6/9)
