Zika Virus

[millionmilesaway]

There has been lots of talk about Zika virus as of late, the disease caused by the virus is not very concerning for healthy adults but causes serous birth defects to babies of infected mothers. This is disastrous for the current endemic regions, especially Brazil with all the social and political bullshit against woman's rights to legally terminate pregnancies.

It is now confirmed to have reached Texas, and cases have cropped up across the globe due to infected individuals travelling. The CDC stares there is little risk for the infections to spread via this method but with the northern hemisphere approaching mosquito season, and the viruses vector being the commonest species I have no doubt that this will spread.

This has pandemic potential (slightly exciting for a parisitology nerd like myself) But with the birth defects it threatens to have a lasting impact on the world for decades to come.

http://www.cdc.gov/zika/index.html

[ldopa]

this is what we get for asking vietnam to "pardon our dust"