What's the Deal with Zika?

The high density urban and tropical environment is the perfect place for mosquito-borne infectious diseases to spread.

For those of you who have not heard, there is another epidemic with a funny name traversing Latin America right on the heels of Chimichanga Virus (I meant Chikungunya), the Zika virus.  The Zika virus is part of the same family of viruses as Dengue, Chikungunya and Yellow Fever.  It is transmitted in Latin America by the bite of the female Aedes Aegypti mosquito (very common in cities and homes in tropical environments like Haiti).  Like Chikungunya, it originated in African primates.  We are pleased to say that Zika is no where near as painful as the dreaded Chikungunya virus which gave Sharon and I a six-month-long case of rheumatic arthritis in 2014.  It does not cause hemorrhaging and extreme fever like Dengue.  However, the Zika virus is thought to cause birth defects (specifically, microcephaly or undeveloped heads and brains) in fetuses of infected pregnant women.  In fact, in Brazil right now, many are counselling women not to become pregnant for the foreseeable future until a vaccine can be found or a causative link ruled out.  Zika is now present in Haiti, though it is difficult to find a blood test for it currently.  Thankfully, this virus, whose symptoms are relatively mild in comparison with its big brothers Dengue, Yellow Fever and Chikungunya, is not a big threat for our family.  It has, however, wreaked havoc with our children's education as many of their young, female and married teachers from Quisqueya School have unexpectedly fled to North America in order to avoid possible Zika infections.  Please pray for our school, Quisqueya Christian School, as faculty manage under very difficult circumstances.  Pray also for our children, a few of whom have been very troubled by the unexpected departure of teachers and the ensuing educational challenges.  While the link between Zika and microcephaly has not been proven, we have several Haitian colleagues who are expecting in the next few months and are very concerned.  Pray for health for their wives and unborn children.