The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reports a dozen cases of Zika virus in the U.S., has issued a travel advisory for pregnant women, asking them to avoid countries that are currently seeing high rates of infection.
The University of Michigan has experts who can discuss the virus:
Emily Toth Martin, assistant professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health, is an infectious disease epidemiologist with a focus on virus epidemiology and the use of vaccines and therapies to prevent and treat infection. Her research includes optimizing the use of diagnostics for viral diseases.
"It is important to remember that Zika virus is spread by mosquitos, not by contact with an infected person," she said. "There does not appear to be any transmission in the United States so far."
Contact: 734-647-4723, [email protected]
Dr. Arnold Monto, the Thomas Francis Jr. Collegiate Professor of Epidemiology, is an internationally known expert who can discuss transmission, prevention, mitigation and social response to outbreaks and pandemic planning. This includes transmission modes.
"This is a very unusual situation because it is a virus which causes very mild disease in other population groups, but if it infects a pregnant woman during her gestation, it can cause major damage to the unborn child," he said. "It's a particular challenge because the virus is apparently widespread."
Contact: 734-764-5453, [email protected]
Dr. Marjorie Treadwell, director of the U-M Fetal Diagnosis Center, is a maternal and fetal medicine expert who can speak about the Zika virus and particularly the concerns for pregnant women.
"Although the Zika virus rarely causes significant illness in adults, the effects could be severe and irreversible for the fetus of a pregnant woman who is infected," she said. "Unfortunately, there are still many unknowns. We don't know how likely it is for a fetus to be affected by the virus if the mother has it. We don't know if women are more likely to get an infection just because they are pregnant. At the present time, there is no treatment available and the recommendations focus on prevention.
"It's important to emphasize that the only way a person can be infected by this virus is through a mosquito bite. Pregnant women who have not traveled to countries where the Zika virus has been reported are not at risk."
Contact: Call Beata Mostafavi at 734-764-2220.
Mark Wilson, professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health, is an ecologist and epidemiologist, with broad research interests in infectious diseases, including the analysis of transmission dynamics and the environmental and social determinants of risk. Studies have addressed various arthropod vector-transmitted and "emerging" diseases including Lyme disease, malaria, leishmaniasis and dengue fever. He can discuss disease transmission, global patterns of disease and relationship to human activity.
"One challenge with mosquito-transmitted Zika virus is that even though all previously unexposed humans are susceptible, not all new infections produce symptoms. Thus, people who are infected yet asymptomatic might travel to areas where competent vectors (Aedes species mosquitoes) are present and unknowing introduce Zika to the local population," he said. "Where these mosquitoes are abundant, outbreaks can quickly occur as transmission is intensified. Anticipating where and when Zika might appear, as well as improving surveillance and rapid response, increases the need for public health infrastructure and capacity in those settings."
Contact: 734-936-0152, [email protected]
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