The Rio Olympics and the Zika Virus

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > The Rio Olympics and the Zika Virus

ugh its Troika: May 2, 2009; by FactsAreUseless

duz posted:

Amusingly that wouldn't actually be that bad in developing countries. The upsides of ddt outweighs the negatives there.

Oh, I most definitely agree. DDT's super effective against mosquitos and it's retarded that it's banned in a lot of places.

# ? Feb 2, 2016 16:55

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# ? Apr 28, 2024 04:44

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Yeah, DDT is pretty good and it wouldn't have been such a huge issue if people were using it for legitimate pest control instead of going insane and spraying it all over fruit crops and poo poo, to the point where it could have very negative side effects on the environment. I don't think DDT use to kill mosquitoes was ever an issue.

# ? Feb 2, 2016 20:58

A Buttery Pastry: Sep 4, 2011; Delicious and Informative!

DDT's should definitely be allowed in Olympic Wrestling.

# ? Feb 2, 2016 21:17

Otherkinsey Scale: Jul 17, 2012; Just a little bit of sunshine!

Confirmed case in Texas.

# ? Feb 3, 2016 00:28

Iowa Snow King: Jan 5, 2008

...a sexually communicable disease that causes birth defects?

That's just hosed up, nature

# ? Feb 3, 2016 00:37

Sucrose: Dec 9, 2009

Iowa Snow King posted:

...a sexually communicable disease that causes birth defects?

That's just hosed up, nature

Probably at the worst possible time too, unless the effects of the virus in those first couple weeks of pregnancy just cause the embryo to become non-viable.

# ? Feb 3, 2016 01:35

Teriyaki Koinku: Nov 25, 2008; Bread! Bread! Bread!

Bread! BREAD! BREAD!

Iowa Snow King posted:

...a sexually communicable disease that causes birth defects?

That's just hosed up, nature

If God really exists, he has a sick, sick sense of humor.

# ? Feb 3, 2016 02:35

Goatse James Bond: Mar 28, 2010; If you see me posting please remind me that I have Charlie Work in the reports forum to do instead

Yardbomb posted:

So it's unanimous, we cleanse the world of mosquitoes, gently caress em.

I'm on board with this proposition.

# ? Feb 3, 2016 02:38

Honj Steak: May 31, 2013; Hi there.

Children of Men is a documentary.

# ? Feb 3, 2016 03:28

Lid: Feb 18, 2005; And the mercy seat is awaiting,
And I think my head is burning,
And in a way I'm yearning,
To be done with all this measuring of proof.
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth,
And anyway I told the truth,
And I'm not afraid to die.

Iowa Snow King posted:

...a sexually communicable disease that causes birth defects?

That's just hosed up, nature

It gets better

http://time.com/7554/a-brief-history-of-sex-at-the-olympics/

http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2012/story/_/id/8133052/athletes-spill-details-dirty-secrets-olympic-village-espn-magazine

Everythings coming up Milhouse for Brazil

# ? Feb 3, 2016 04:26

ass struggle: Dec 25, 2012; by Athanatos

Isn't very possible that the kids being born with these underdeveloped brains are the result of outside environmental factors? Haven't the births of these children been localized in Brazil? Can we safely say it's not just something in the water? I mean before now it didn't look like Zika had been connected to these types of defects.

# ? Feb 3, 2016 04:37

Lid: Feb 18, 2005; And the mercy seat is awaiting,
And I think my head is burning,
And in a way I'm yearning,
To be done with all this measuring of proof.
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth,
And anyway I told the truth,
And I'm not afraid to die.

sparatuvs posted:

Isn't very possible that the kids being born with these underdeveloped brains are the result of outside environmental factors? Haven't the births of these children been localized in Brazil? Can we safely say it's not just something in the water? I mean before now it didn't look like Zika had been connected to these types of defects.

Last year Brazil's total number of babies with microphaly was 300.

This month the number is 3000 and all but 10 had the Zika virus. It's a pretty strong correlation.

quote:

Can you bring me up to date on what is going on there?

Brazilian doctors have reported 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly versus 147 in 2014. The clusters of cases appear to coincide with the regions where Zika virus is most active. Health officials in the northern part of the country were the first to report their suspicions, and after Brazilian officials began tracking the condition more closely they found a staggering number of other cases. There has been some talk that the big jump in suspected cases in Brazil reflects a greater degree of awareness and that the numbers in the past may have reflected under-reporting. But most global public health officials agree that probably only explains some of the increase � and that there still appears to be a very real and worrisome issue.

What about the cases in French Polynesia?

The country had an outbreak of Zika virus that affected more than 30,000 people, and officials did not notice an increase in microcephaly cases at the time. But after the Brazilian data was out, officials went back and saw an increase in microcephaly cases in French Polynesia, as well. Officials have said the number of microcephaly cases was small and have not said whether any had been confirmed to be associated with Zika through blood or other tests.

# ? Feb 3, 2016 04:46

My Imaginary GF: Jul 17, 2005; by R. Guyovich

sparatuvs posted:

Isn't very possible that the kids being born with these underdeveloped brains are the result of outside environmental factors? Haven't the births of these children been localized in Brazil? Can we safely say it's not just something in the water? I mean before now it didn't look like Zika had been connected to these types of defects.

It may be more complicated than Zika infection during pregnancy -> fetus born with small head, however, there is a statistically significant enough correlation as to imply that a causative relation could exist, therefore additional research is required in order to establish whether a causative relation exists.

# ? Feb 3, 2016 05:00

Lid: Feb 18, 2005; And the mercy seat is awaiting,
And I think my head is burning,
And in a way I'm yearning,
To be done with all this measuring of proof.
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth,
And anyway I told the truth,
And I'm not afraid to die.

quote:

Brazil president Dilma Rousseff�s chief of staff Jaques Wagner addressed the concerns Monday, telling reporters there was no risk of cancelling the Games.

�We have to explain to those coming to Brazil, the athletes, that there is zero risk if you are not a pregnant woman,� Wagner said.

Unless you catch the disease, take it back to your country, and pass it to mosuitos or through sex which in turn would cause pregnancies. Then I guess you are a risk. Please don't cancel the Olympics.

quote:

But the organisers played down such fears, saying the Games will be held in Brazil�s winter when the cooler, drier weather will reduce the number of mosquitoes.

Also it's going to involve telling people in Brazil not to have sex.

Hahahahhahahahahahahaha. No.

# ? Feb 3, 2016 05:11

Mat Cauthon: Jan 2, 2006; The more tragic things get,
the more I feel like laughing.

Iowa Snow King posted:

...a sexually communicable disease that causes birth defects?

That's just hosed up, nature

Well, humanity had a good run.

This is legitimately scary in a way that Ebola, SARS, etc never really were. I can't imagine how expecting parents or people who are trying to conceive must be feeling right now in any of the places that are afflicted or areas that might be vulnerable once the seasons start changing. I hope they get a vaccine out soon or something.

# ? Feb 3, 2016 05:57

ukle: Nov 28, 2005

Lid posted:

Last year Brazil's total number of babies with microphaly was 300.

This month the number is 3000 and all but 10 had the Zika virus. It's a pretty strong correlation.

The issue is though that there has been no cases of babies born with microphaly who have been linked Zika outside of Brazil, yet. As to why this is, is unknown at this time. Its led to questions of what is different with Brazil, is it just greater incidence of Zika or some other factor. Until a link is found or cases of microphaly with Zika outside of Brazil there will be scare stories with I believe no factual basis e.g. that it was being caused by GM mosquitoes released in Brazil to fight the Dengue virus.

# ? Feb 3, 2016 08:41

IAMNOTADOCTOR: Sep 26, 2013

Rap Record Hoarder posted:

Well, humanity had a good run.

This is legitimately scary in a way that Ebola, SARS, etc never really were.

Agreed, but so far SARS is to me still the scariest possible pandemic disease from the last couple of years.

Does anyone know which arthropods can function as a vector and their geographical spread?

# ? Feb 3, 2016 11:50

ukle: Nov 28, 2005

IAMNOTADOCTOR posted:

Does anyone know which arthropods can function as a vector and their geographical spread?

CDC lists it as just the Aedes genus of Mosquitoes.

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

Did see a composite image a few days ago that combined all the spreads in this paper:

http://elifesciences.org/content/4/e08347

Guess that many have been created by the CDC or WHO, so it might be available on their sites. But the images in that paper show the geographic spreads involved.

ukle fucked around with this message at 14:27 on Feb 3, 2016

# ? Feb 3, 2016 14:05

Troutful: May 31, 2011

Zika virus is way less scary than the other two major diseases spread by Aedes, yellow fever and dengue. The people who actually have to worry about this are women in countries with restrictive abortion laws.

I study Aedes mosquitoes for a living, so I'd be happy to answer any questions people have about them.

# ? Feb 3, 2016 15:18

Mulva: Sep 13, 2011; It's about time for my once per decade ban for being a consistently terrible poster.

Troutful posted:

Zika virus is way less scary than the other two major diseases spread by Aedes, yellow fever and dengue. The people who actually have to worry about this are women in countries with restrictive abortion laws.

I study Aedes mosquitoes for a living, so I'd be happy to answer any questions people have about them.

Do you think their tiny brains are developed enough to feel fear if we slowly tortured them all to death?

# ? Feb 3, 2016 18:34

Ghost of Mussolini: Jun 26, 2011

Troutful posted:

Zika virus is way less scary than the other two major diseases spread by Aedes, yellow fever and dengue. The people who actually have to worry about this are women in countries with restrictive abortion laws.

So just like all of Latin America except for Cuba, coincidentally where the Olympics are being held?

# ? Feb 3, 2016 19:10

Nonsense: Jan 26, 2007

Troutful posted:

Zika virus is way less scary than the other two major diseases spread by Aedes, yellow fever and dengue. The people who actually have to worry about this are women in countries with restrictive abortion laws.

I study Aedes mosquitoes for a living, so I'd be happy to answer any questions people have about them.

Na deformed babies are worse than a fever, sorry the world disagrees. Also actually help US officials if you know so much because this is going to be ebola scare all over again.

# ? Feb 3, 2016 19:12

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

I'd also point out that there are vaccines for yellow fever and dengue, whereas there is not for Zika.

# ? Feb 3, 2016 19:13

IAMNOTADOCTOR: Sep 26, 2013

ukle posted:

CDC lists it as just the Aedes genus of Mosquitoes.

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

Did see a composite image a few days ago that combined all the spreads in this paper:

http://elifesciences.org/content/4/e08347

Thanks, informative.

Troutful posted:

I study Aedes mosquitoes for a living, so I'd be happy to answer any questions people have about them.

Physiologically speaking, what are the major differences between the Aedes genus of mosquitos and other mosquito species that make it the primary vector for dengue, zika etc?

# ? Feb 3, 2016 21:33

Mozi: Apr 4, 2004; Forms change so fast
Time is moving past
Memory is smoke
Gonna get wider when I die; Nap Ghost

Can't we just release our genetically modified sterile mosquitoes and be done with it yet?

# ? Feb 3, 2016 21:49

A Buttery Pastry: Sep 4, 2011; Delicious and Informative!

Mozi posted:

Can't we just release our genetically modified sterile mosquitoes and be done with it yet?

The sterility gene hitches a ride on a mosquito-born parasite, ends up in the human body, turn all infected men sterile.

# ? Feb 3, 2016 22:07

Stanos: Sep 22, 2009; The best 57 in hockey.

Finally, we can kill earth's biggest pests in one fell swoop.

# ? Feb 3, 2016 22:10

Goatse James Bond: Mar 28, 2010; If you see me posting please remind me that I have Charlie Work in the reports forum to do instead

Boogaleeboo posted:

Do you think their tiny brains are developed enough to feel fear if we slowly tortured them all to death?

And if not, how difficult would it be to fix that? :getin:

# ? Feb 3, 2016 22:10

AriadneThread: Feb 17, 2011; The Devil sounds like smoke and honey. We cannot move. It is too beautiful.

A Buttery Pastry posted:

The sterility gene hitches a ride on a mosquito-born parasite, ends up in the human body, turn all infected men sterile.

good

# ? Feb 3, 2016 22:23

A Buttery Pastry: Sep 4, 2011; Delicious and Informative!

AriadneThread posted:

good

Ah, a fellow Nordic supremacist.

A Buttery Pastry fucked around with this message at 23:28 on Feb 3, 2016

# ? Feb 3, 2016 23:04

Dapper_Swindler: Feb 14, 2012; Im glad my instant dislike in you has been validated again and again.

I guess i am an idiot but can someone explain to me what Zika virus does. from what it sounds like in the media, if you get infected, your kids are going to be malformed and intellectually disabled. these is apparently especially the case with already pregnant women. is that true?

# ? Feb 3, 2016 23:25

Plutonis: Mar 25, 2011

frajaq posted:

I love Zika Virus, it's an excellent excuse for the Olympics to not happen here, gently caress the olympics

Even though it brings bad things we already spent a billion bucks on infrastructure. If we waste that the loving opposition will grab on it like a rabid dog. Frig off. Also the Zika itself is not that dangerous if you aren't pregnant, the symptoms are not even that bad when compared to Dengue and Yellow Fever, which I got and it sucked rear end!

# ? Feb 3, 2016 23:49

Radbot: Aug 12, 2009; Can't post for 3 years!

TheLovablePlutonis posted:

Even though it brings bad things we already spent a billion bucks on infrastructure. If we waste that the loving opposition will grab on it like a rabid dog. Frig off. Also the Zika itself is not that dangerous if you aren't pregnant, the symptoms are not even that bad when compared to Dengue and Yellow Fever, which I got and it sucked rear end!

Considering sexual transmission is a Zika vector, I'd take issue with the assertion that it's not that dangerous if you aren't pregnant.

Let's put it this way - if you're a woman trying for a baby with a man, would him having Zika concern you?

# ? Feb 3, 2016 23:52

Koirhor: Jan 14, 2008; by Fluffdaddy

A Buttery Pastry posted:

The sterility gene hitches a ride on a mosquito-born parasite, ends up in the human body, turn all infected men sterile.

I fail to see a downside at this point

# ? Feb 4, 2016 00:53

Sucrose: Dec 9, 2009

ukle posted:

The issue is though that there has been no cases of babies born with microphaly who have been linked Zika outside of Brazil, yet. As to why this is, is unknown at this time. Its led to questions of what is different with Brazil, is it just greater incidence of Zika or some other factor. Until a link is found or cases of microphaly with Zika outside of Brazil there will be scare stories with I believe no factual basis e.g. that it was being caused by GM mosquitoes released in Brazil to fight the Dengue virus.

I've heard that the microcephaly numbers for Brazil pre-Zika were probably massively undercounted compared to the rate in countries like the US, so the microcephaly increase probably isn't nearly as extreme as it looks. However, Brazil's current number of microcephalic babies is still apparently abnormally high, even taking that into account.

# ? Feb 4, 2016 01:14

HelloSailorSign: Jan 27, 2011

davebo posted:

Super looking forward to my honeymoon in Costa Rica this March with my fiance who's trying to conceive. At least the map CNN had up earlier today showed every country except Nicaragua and Costa Rica as red, so I'm sure the mosquitoes just stop at the border.

There's been a case of a Boston man who was in Costa Rica who has come up positive for Zika after reporting low-grade fever and myalgia - apparently went on a trip end of December, admitted to hospital early January.

# ? Feb 4, 2016 02:13

Pope Guilty: Nov 6, 2006; The human animal is a beautiful and terrible creature, capable of limitless compassion and unfathomable cruelty.

I've been reading that only 6% of mosquitos worldwide are members of species that carry diseases that affect humans. Wiping out those species and replacing them with other mosquito species seems like a good plan.

# ? Feb 4, 2016 02:14

My Imaginary GF: Jul 17, 2005; by R. Guyovich

Dapper_Swindler posted:

I guess i am an idiot but can someone explain to me what Zika virus does. from what it sounds like in the media, if you get infected, your kids are going to be malformed and intellectually disabled. these is apparently especially the case with already pregnant women. is that true?

That's a good question. Unfortunately, it's not well understood. There is a significant correlation between incidence of birth defects and zika infection; the mechanisms of zika infection are not well studied, and the scope of neurological affects are, as of yet, unknown.

# ? Feb 4, 2016 06:48

reignonyourparade: Nov 15, 2012

There's also a genus of mosquito that doesn't drink blood at all and also as a larva primarily feeds on other mosquito larva, so that's a fun option.

# ? Feb 4, 2016 07:32

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# ? Apr 28, 2024 04:44

Lid: Feb 18, 2005; And the mercy seat is awaiting,
And I think my head is burning,
And in a way I'm yearning,
To be done with all this measuring of proof.
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth,
And anyway I told the truth,
And I'm not afraid to die.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/05/zika-virus-saliva-urine-transmission-kissing

quote:

Zika virus found in saliva but scientists split on transmission via kissing

Scientists in Brazil advise pregnant women against kissing anyone showing symptoms but others believe virus may behave more like dengue fever

Save for later
The discovery of the Zika virus in saliva has sparked disagreement among Brazilian scientists about whether pregnant women should be advised to avoid kissing anyone showing possible symptoms.

The Fiocruz research institute in Rio de Janeiro said on Friday they had identified live samples of Zika in saliva and urine, which merited further research into whether these two fluids could be a source of contagion.

Until the outcome is known, they suggested pregnant women should think twice about kissing anyone other than their partners or sharing drinking glasses or cutlery with people who might be infected.

This proposed precaution has been met with a mixture of fear and derision. Other scientists argue that it is extremely unlikely for the disease to spread this way.

Zika crisis and economic woes bring gloom to Brazil's Olympic buildup
Read more
“The warning is crazy and unnecessary,” said Rubio Soares Campos, who co-identified the first case of Zika in Brazil. “Just because the virus is present in saliva does not mean it can be transmitted that way.”

He argued that it was more likely to behave like dengue, another mosquito-borne disease that is found in human body fluids but cannot be spread that way.

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But the latest news has increased the unease of the Brazilian public, who have watched with alarm as Zika has come from nowhere to infect an estimated 1.5m people with an apparently growing range of suspected – but not yet scientifically proven – side effects, including immune system disorders and brain defects in newborns.

“It’s starting to scare the hell out of me,” said one Rio resident, Maria Teixeira. “At first everybody thought is was just a mild fever. Then, we were told it could develop into Guillain Barré syndrome, and then that it was associated with horrible side effects such as deformed babies. What’s next?”

Zika is more and more turning into what the paranoid beliefs of AIDS were.

# ? Feb 6, 2016 00:15

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > The Rio Olympics and the Zika Virus

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