Zika deserves our attention

If you could possibly prevent your child or your grandchild from being born with Alzheimer’s disease, you would try everything within reason to prevent this. So why are we not doing more to prevent the Zika virus from invading Hawaii?

While we have a lot to learn about Zika, we do know that women who are infected during pregnancy have a significant risk of birthing a baby with serious birth defects, most notably microcephaly (“tiny brain”). Try to imagine how a young family could deal with this.

We also know that here on the Big Island we have two invasive species of mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus) that can transmit the Zika virus, and that people fly to Hawaii every day from areas that harbor Zika (like American Samoa and Brazil).

So what can be done? First we should push the US government to spend whatever it takes to develop a vaccine against the Zika virus. The cost of one bomber should cover this.

But these mosquitoes also spread dengue fever, yellow fever, and the dreaded Chikungunya virus that leaves a majority of infected people with chronic arthritis. So the mosquitoes need to go.

Several biotech companies are experimenting with promising techniques to eradicate these two species of mosquitoes. So why don’t we invite them to try to eradicate these two invasive species on the Big Island? There is no down side to such a trial, but there is everything to gain for the future of our children.

In the meantime, use mosquito traps and empty all standing water, because these infections are headed our way.

Charlie Webb, MD

Kailua-Kona