×

Make fighting Zika a priority

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory that pregnant women should stay out of a section of Miami is not the most disturbing news about the Zika virus this week.

CDC officials’ warning was bad enough, to be sure. The agency said an outbreak of 14 cases of Zika in Miami’s Wynwood district was the reason for its advisory. Zika can cause birth defects.

Perhaps even more unsettling was the CDC’s tally showing more than 1,650 cases of Zika have been reported in the United States. Only in Florida has the disease been transmitted by mosquitoes. Other U.S. cases involve people who have traveled to Zika-ridden areas of the world or have contracted the disease by having sex with others infected.

But there is a catch to all that: Zika can be picked up by certain mosquitoes who bite people already infected. Then, the bugs can spread it to new victims.

That could mean that, at least in some areas, the growth of Zika could be exponential. And that means federal officials should make finding a vaccine and a cure for Zika a priority.

editorial@tribtoday.com

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
     

Starting at $4.85/week.

Subscribe Today