A Zika vaccine is still years away. Asian strains may be less virulent. And not all mosquitoes are equal opportunity Zika-spreaders.
These are some of the things we learned Friday from STAT reporter Helen Branswell as part of a Twitter chat sponsored by PBS NewsHour. In response to her recent story on what we know about Zika and what we still have to learn, Helen fielded several questions about the virus, some from NewsHour and others from the audience.
For the full chat, which also featured STAT reporters Ike Swetlitz, @ikeswetlitz, talking the EpiPen pricing scandal and Sheila Kaplan, @bysheilakaplan, discussing the recent federal ban on triclosan, search #NewsHourChats on Twitter.
How long until one is available to the public? Do those timelines vary by nation? #NewshourChats cc @HelenBranswell
— PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) September 9, 2016
.@NewsHour Great Q. There are lots of companies “working” on #Zika vaccines, but many will not end with a product. #NewsHourChats
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) September 9, 2016
Differences between the Asian and African strain of the virus:
.@NewsHour But a licensed #Zika vaccine you or I could get at a doctor’s office is at least several years away. #NewsHourChats
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) September 9, 2016
#Singapore’s #Zika local outbreak ballooned to 200 cases in mere weeks. (1/2) #NewshourChats
— PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) September 9, 2016
What does the scenario mean for disease surveillance and for Asia/Africa in the long-term? #NewshourChats cc @HelenBranswell
— PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) September 9, 2016
.@NewsHour The significance? The older Asian strains MAY not be as virulent. They may not cause birth defects, for instance. #NewsHourChats
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) September 9, 2016
What types of mosquitoes are spreading Zika:
Do we need to increase surveillance here in the United States? (2/2) #NewshourChats @HelenBranswell
— PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) September 9, 2016
.@NewsHour The experts anticipate pockets of #Zika spread in places with the right mosquitoes. National spread isn’t likely. #NewsHourChats
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) September 9, 2016
.@NewsHour It will be important to see, tho, which types of mosquitoes can spread #Zika. If species that are widespread…1/2 #NewsHourChats
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) September 9, 2016
2/2 @NewsHour … can transmit #Zika, that would change the risk equation. So far, it seems to be Aedes aegypti. #NewsHourChats
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) September 9, 2016
Other users were able to chime in with their questions regarding Zika as well.
Every family should have an ‘available to delegate’ operative.
RT @NewsHour: Do we need to increase surveillance here in the United (1/2)— Enrvgz (@Enrvgz) September 9, 2016
.@newshour @Enrvgz Re: states that may be at risk of #Zika outbreaks. You can see mosquito maps here: https://t.co/ownAVlp2AM #NewshourChats
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) September 9, 2016
.@pragmatist20152 @statnews @ikeswetlitz @BySheilaKaplan @NewsHour You mean summer 2017? Predict, yes. Correctly? (shrug) #NewsHourChats
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) September 9, 2016
.@PattiParson @NewsHour It seems #Zika isn’t dangerous for most adults who aren’t pregnant. There are rare GBS cases, tho. #NewsHourChats
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) September 9, 2016
