Zika’s Very Real Threat to the U.S.

Do you know what the deadliest creature in the world is? More people are killed by this living thing every year than the next 10 animals on the list combined.

Thanks to Hollywood, it’s natural for us to assume it might be some large underwater or heavy land creature with hair and fangs. But the answer is the mosquito — specifically because it spreads malaria.

Each Zika-infected child may require anywhere from millions to tens of millions of dollars in advanced medical care throughout his or her life.

Malaria may not concern us all that much here in the United States — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that malaria was eliminated from our country in the 1950s. But the devastating effects of the mosquito are increasing across the country. And the forthcoming monsoon season — which combines rainfall with hot summer weather — is the prime breeding season for mosquitoes.

There are critical issues facing the country, including race relations, terrorist threats, and the budget deficit — all in a presidential election year — but Zika can’t be ignored. The march of the Zika mosquito will be relentless across the United States, and it is doubtful Congress is giving proper attention to the situation.

Important to Watch: Puerto Rico  
Puerto Rico may give the U.S. a preview of what is to come. Its wet and steamy summer climate provides an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects. The breeding ground is compounded by Puerto Rico’s all-but-collapsed economy, which is totally unprepared to deal with the epidemic of this magnitude, even without its financial woes.

About 40 million people a year travel between the U.S. and areas where Zika is circulating, according to the CDC. Puerto Rico is a popular destination, with regular daily flights to and from multiple cities in the U.S., and cruise ships make regular stops.

The latest numbers show there are thousands of people with Zika in Puerto Rico, including hundreds of pregnant women — and that number may be low. Health officials at the CDC estimate approximately 50 pregnant women are infected with Zika on a daily basis — not necessarily through a mosquito bite itself, but potentially through sexual or other forms of transmission. Additional estimates by the CDC show at least a quarter of the island will be infected with Zika by the end of 2016.

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Although Zika is rarely fatal, its symptoms are similar to those of influenza, and include joint and muscle pain, fever, and chills — and they last about a week. Further complications include the debilitating Guillain-Barré syndrome and other neurological effects. Even more deleterious are its effects on the unborn child, which include serious brain damage and stunted growth, clearly detectable via ultrasound in pregnant women testing positive for the disease.

Going forward, each of these children may require anywhere from millions to tens of millions of dollars in advanced medical care throughout their lives.

The question remains: How do we best prevent its spread throughout the U.S.?

I am not an entomologist. However, a cursory review of original scientific articles and review papers reveals life cycle patterns of mosquitoes:

• Mosquitoes can’t fly very far or very fast.
• Most mosquitoes can fly only one to three miles, or within several hundred feet of where they were hatched. While a few salt marsh species can travel 40 miles, those mosquitoes don’t carry the Zika virus.
• Mosquitoes generally fly below 25 feet.

Knowing this, it is clear mosquitoes didn’t “fly” here from South or Central America by themselves; the virus is being transported here by infected people.

To avoid infection or to prevent having a baby with massive health complications — think twice before you have unprotected sex. The CDC not only advises women who are pregnant or hoping to get pregnant to avoid traveling to areas where Zika is present, it also recommends women during pregnancy avoid having any sex or unprotected sex with someone exposed to Zika and that they wait least six months after a male partner shows symptoms before trying to have a baby.

The resurgence of tuberculosis, measles, whooping cough, mumps, scarlet fever, and bubonic plague may also be directly related to Obama’s immigration policies.

Also, one should avoid getting mosquito bites however possible. Sweat helps mosquitoes choose their victims. Our skin produces more than 340 chemical odors, and some smell like dinner to mosquitoes. They are fond of octenol, a chemical released in sweat, as well as cholesterol, folic acid, certain bacteria, skin lotions, and perfumes.

Dark clothing also attracts mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are drawn to heat, and darker clothes retain more heat than light-colored clothing. This is what any of us can do on a personal level.

On a community level, insecticides work, but only in the short term. Permethrin, one of the most common chemicals used by local mosquito control programs, kills mosquitoes on contact by disrupting their central nervous systems. However, eggs and larvae are often not affected. Once the insecticide dissipates, mosquitoes can return.

On the national level, the spread of Zika has a definite connection to illegal immigration and little to no enforcement of our border screening process.

One of the most basic and fundamental screening methods used in physicians offices around the world involves taking one’s temperature to detect a fever. A fever of unknown origin (clinically referred to as a “FUO”) can be indicative of literally hundreds of different diseases. Modern systems in both the U.S. and China involve having passengers walk past a specific type of camera, which glows red or white when high temperatures are detected. Cost-effective alternatives include sublingual thermometers that may be purchased for around $5 and can accurately determine the presence of a fever in about 10 seconds. It works when these systems are available.

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Of course, when literally hundreds of people pour across the border on a daily basis — no screening takes place.

Along with Zika, other illnesses previously thought to have been permanently eradicated from the U.S. are experiencing an epidemiological renaissance and/or significant increase. The resurgence of tuberculosis, measles, whooping-cough, mumps, scarlet fever, and bubonic plague may also be directly related to President Obama’s immigration policies.

The mosquito-borne Zika virus is by far the most pressing communicable disease issue we face today in the U.S. and it is more than likely related to un-screened/illegal border crossings taking place under Obama’s watch.

Related: Dragging Our Heels on Zika

Congress doesn’t understand. Very few people in Congress have a health care or scientific background in order to comprehend the reality of what is likely going to happen. Stopping this virus needs to be a high priority.

Dr. David Gortler, a former Food and Drug Administration senior medical officer, is a pharmacology expert and an FDA policy expert at FormerFDA.com.