patrick.net

Zika does pose worrisome risks, and the research should be fully funded.

Instead, TPTB dither, partly because their incentive structure makes that seem rational from their POV. Rs want to block almost everything except TPP and "bathroom" bills that prohibit municipalities from raising the minimum wage, and Ds want their cut of the medical revenue that results from treating disease rather than ending it. Business as usual, sorry to say.

curious2 says

Zika does pose worrisome risks, and the research should be fully funded.

Here here. In the meantime, I'm sure the poor in southern states see this coming and will invest in better screens and air conditioning. Ugh.

The empathy this administration has on world health issues while stark raving mad and off the rails over polital motivated Scientific fraud.
Ebola they laugh about, as sick people come and go as they please. They say the sun is burning us all alive then it snows in July.
These people are way off the rails.

The long term damage is the scary part. I don't know if this is correct, but this virus tends to live a long time in the nervous systems. My worry is that kids that get it now may have reproductive problems 20 years from now.

The good: health community is being amazingly aggressive in getting a vaccine.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/eaf0e7f4ebca491aaa2518094405af05/volunteers-sought-race-develop-zika-vaccine-heats

The bad: they are using funds meant for other diseases (lots of funding from Ebola) to do it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/07/health/zika-virus-budget-ebola.html

Tenpoundbass says

Ebola they laugh about, as sick people come and go as they please.

The continued fight against Ebola was defunded and stalled out, by the Republican congress. You mad bro? I think Zika is a greater immediate threat and they have it right. What about you?

In the news today: Zika spreading rapidly to other countries, Hurricane Hermine likely to hinder Zika fight, we wiped out a large colony of bees from pesticide use in South Carolina, Cuba manages to do what Puerto Rico could not (Go USA!)

Meh. Ebola and Bird Flu, etc. etc. all going to kill us all.

What happened to AIDS? When I was a kid, it was 24-7 about how we'd all have it in 20 years.

It's heeeeeeeerrrrreeeee. (Florida bigly)

Estimated range of Aedes aegypti shown in blue ...

http://www.baltimoresun.com/health/maryland-health/bs-hs-zika-season-20170327-story.html

Mosquito season on the horizon.

I've got a feeling we're going to see less biological psyops operations.

Obama went out of his damn way to make sure every pathogen ended up on our shores and up and walking around the street.
Then Trolled OUR ignorance.

Rew says

I think Zika is a greater immediate threat and they have it right. What about you?

I think Obama made damn sure Zika ended up in America. He sent our Swim team to Brazil early so they could swim in Shit, and their entourage could bring it back to the shithole South Beach Miami.

Ironman says

Better stock up now, beat the rush:

The effective mosquito repellents all use nasty synthetic chemicals like DEET. An excellent dilemma for people who worry about everything, lol.

Tenpoundbass says

I think Obama made damn sure Zika ended up in America.

Tenpoundbass says

Obama went out of his damn way to make sure every pathogen ended up on our shores and up and walking around the street.

You think Obama was to blame for our crap reactions to both Ebola and Zika? Fascinating. Hint: the same amazing public servants who couldn't repeal Obamacare were involved here.

Ebola, despite the hissy fit from you and CiC (Ironman), was very easily beaten. The travel blocking legislation almost did cause a huge continued crisis in West Africa. Thankfully, the paranoid hide under the bed types LOST BADLY to bold actions by the CDC, WHO, and everyday medical workers and politicians (yes! just diplomats) rushing to West Africa to help.

For Zika, I'm afraid, we did far worse than try to hide under the bed and lock the door. We essentially did nothing. Zika swept up out of South America, over Puerto Rico, and into Florida, while we argued about money and what to do. Freaking Rubio even had sense to mobilize what he could in Florida. We let Zika become endemic to North America, and unlike Ebola, we don't know what that means to us.

We may start finding out soon. Maybe even this year.

Your politics right now probably would lead you Tenpoundbass to say "F*** South Sudan". Let them kill each other. But, you will scream holy hell when terrorists form in the region and begin attacking neighbors and us. (shaking head) When will you realize that with how small the world is now, things that affect people a small ocean away, will radically affect us if we do nothing? Or do you want to continue our international aide programs and the CDC/WHO programs?

Ironman says

Better stock up now, beat the rush:

Deet isn't going to save us from the long term effects of Zika to the US population. That bug looks here to stay. Add in the climate change picture and we have the makings of some fun times ahead.

I know, I know. It's not as fear inducing as the airborne ebola-pocalypse you were whining about. It's just that little mosquito ... one of the biggest killers on the planet ... now armed with a new fun bug we don't yet fully understand.

How many nurses had to die to save us from the Ebola-pocalypse again by your count Ironman?
How many Americans will be affected by Zika vs Ebola in the next 30 years?

You are on the wrong side of history, and as usual, it will just take you a little time to see it. :) In the meantime, enjoy Trump while he lasts.

"1 in 10 Zika-infected US moms have babies with birth defects, CDC reports"

Rew says

the political machinery has been debating cost and are not acting. We declare a virtual apocalypse for ebola, screaming for all sorts of travel restrictions and precautions, and now do so little, so slowly,

You don't seem to understand the effect of Obamneycare. It converted chronic conditions into infinite subsidized revenue models with "no lifetime caps," and the same administration "sequestered" research funding thereafter. It's as if they gave infinite subsidies to used car salesmen, while shutting down the R&D that would result in better cars in the future. Armed with infinite subsidies, the chronic care salesmen are an unstoppable force in the Capitol. No countervailing political force can muster the strength to disrupt those infinite subsidies.

By contrast, ebola kills quickly and comparatively cheaply. There aren't even daily pills for it. Not much money in that.

So, Zika that was supposed to ravish Africa, Central and South America as well as large parts of the US causing millions and millions of birth defects that tons of scientists said needed to have massive funding to save the human race...well, if you said anything about this being a hoax at the time you were a denier. All the serious science was behind this belief that the end was near. Only to be out-done by the Ebola scare. Someone is still funding the global warming scare...too much science money at stake there.