U.S. poll shows little concern about Zika

CDC reports that as of March 30, there have been 312 cases of Zika in the U.S. but 4 out of 10 people have not heard of Zika or have heard very little according to an AP and Univ of Chicago poll during the last week of March 2016. The poll also showed that only 25% of Americans thought the US should pull out of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, where Zika has been most widely observed.
CDC should take the opportunity as the federal agency give the public health risk communication task for public health emergencies (Executive Order, Bush '43) and provide leadership on this task, describing the ways that Zika can be transmitted, including close intimate contact, etc. and how to prevent infections, what to do to avoid mosquito bites.
Finally, CDC should be showing leadership in advocating the use the Oxitec mosquito  as much as possible to combat Zika gaining a foothold in the U.S.  The genetically modified Oxitec mosquito has been effective in reducing Aedes mosquitoes, those mosquitoes responsible for transmitting Zika as well as Dengue Fever.  Public information campaigns about the use of GMO mosquitoes would go a long way to address any concerns from the public about releasing them into the environment.

WHO ends public health emergency in West Africa

     On Tuesday, March 29, 2016 the WHO ended the public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) for Ebola, perhaps too soon. The PHEIC designation is a determination by a WHO convened Emergency Committee to determine by an algorithm in the International Health Regulations whether the event continues to be a PHEIC.
     The WHO was slow to designate the Ebola epidemic in West Africa a PHEIC on August 8, 2014 after months of delay, not seeing the eventual catastrophic spread  in West Africa and then into Europe and North America.
     In the Emergency Committee findings on their determination to end the public health emergency, this week, they determined that the Ebola outbreak no longer constituted "an extraordinary event," one criteria for designating a PHEIC. However, a new cluster of Ebola was found on March 17 in Guinea, and a new case arose in Liberia on April 1, 2016.
      Although these may not be connected to original cases, this is something that bears watching under a PHEIC for a longer period to ensure W. Africa continues to have necessary support to respond, despite WHO's determination that they have the capacity to respond, now. Given the collapse of the internal public health systems for usual functions like childhood vaccinations, it is hard to imagine that W. Africa has miraculously caught up on these functions, and built their infrastructure to respond to one of the world's most challenging diseases.
      This should be closely watched by the world.