Zika crisis is unpredictable

A baby born with microcephaly undergoes physical therapy in Brazil on Feb. 25, 2016.(Photo: Andre Penner, AP)

Since Zika shot to worldwide attention in January, the once obscure mosquito-borne virus has done nothing but surprise. Long thought to cause only mild illness, Zika is now believed to trigger a devastating birth defect and has been linked to serious neurological diseases in adults. It can spread not only by mosquito bites but also by sexual activity.

As warmer weather makes mosquitoes more active in the USA, the guiding principle for political and public health leaders ought to be preparation without panic — a balance that has been difficult to achieve during similar challenges in the past.

And on Monday, a White House briefing generated less-than-calming news: Zika “seems to be a bit scarier than we initially thought,” said Anne Schuchat , the principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The message seems directed at recalcitrant Republicans in Congress who are refusing to approve $1.9 billion in emergency funding to fight Zika. Instead, they've pressed the Obama administration to transfer leftover money from the battle against the deadly Ebola virus.

That would be shortsighted. Ebola, while no longer an official international “public health emergency,” is still popping up in small clusters in West Africa.

The best way to keep America safe is to ensure that an epidemic does not reignite there. The task gets harder if funds for Ebola education and treatment get switched to Zika.

Source:USA TODAY