Electron microscope view of Zika virus
The mosquito-transmitted Zika virus is spreading and causing concerns in many parts of the world:
January 28, 2016
he World Health Organization warns the Zika virus, seen as a possible cause of severe birth defects, is spreading rapidly through the Americas and could affect as many as four million people.
WHO says the mosquito-borne virus was originally seen as a mild risk to humans, but it has since grown rapidly to a public-health threat of “alarming proportions.”
Uganda origin
The U.N. health agency’s director general, Margaret Chan, said the Zika virus was discovered in Uganda in 1947, but has since spread throughout the world and in recent years has become associated with neurological complications. Thousands of pregnant women infected with the virus have given birth to severely or mortally disabled infants.
Chan told a special meeting of WHO in Geneva Thursday that the Zika virus is “spreading explosively” in the Americas. She has called for an emergency meeting of experts on Monday.
“As of today, cases have been reported in 23 countries and territories in the [Americas] region,” Chan said. “The level of alarm is extremely high. Arrival of the virus has been associated with a steep increase in the birth of babies with abnormally small heads.”
Obama calls for tests, vaccines
In the United States, President Barack Obama has called for the rapid development of tests, vaccines and treatments for Zika infections, which until now have resisted all treatment efforts.
Obama convened a meeting of senior health advisers to discuss the spread of the virus and its economic and developmental impact on the Americas.
WHO’s Chan said a direct, causal relationship between the Zika virus and such birth defects has not yet been firmly established, but it is strongly suspected.
Next week’s meeting in Geneva will explore measures that affected countries should take to combat the virus, she said, and also provide advice on the appropriate level of international concern about the ailment.
The virus is named for the Zika forest in Uganda where the virus was first discovered in a monkey nearly 70 years ago. It was first believed to affect only primates, and when it was detected in humans was first discovered with the in 1947 in a monkey. It is transmitted by mosquitos and was initially believed to only affect monkeys. When it originally spread to humans, it seemed to cause only mild illness.
Outbreaks in Brazil and elsewhere in southern and central America have led to extensive spraying of insectivides to eradicate mosquitos.
Zika virus has been tentatively linked to 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly in Brazil, a condition that results in abnormally small heads and brains in newborns. http://www.voanews.com/content/who-zika-virus-spreading-explosively-in-americas/3166407.html
There are many mosquito-transmitted infections. Some are more likely to be pestilential than others. The main clinical symptoms in patients are low-grade fever, conjunctivitis (pink eye), transient arthritis/arthralgia (mainly in the smaller joints of the hands and feet) and maculopapular rash that often starts on the face and then spreads throughout the body. In general the disease symptoms are considered as mild and short-lasting (2–7 days).
Zika rash (photo by Cramunhao)
Yet, Zika is a major concern for pregnant women as it is believed to be associated with microencephaly, a condition where babies have very small heads.
The old WCG published the following about disease:
Parallel prophecies found in the Old Testament clearly indicate why man will continue to suffer from the ravages of disease. Notice this cause-and effect relationship as outlined in the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy: “But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God,” warns man’s Creator, “the Lord will make the pestilence cling to you until He has consumed you from off the land, which you go to possess. The Lord will smite you with consumption [wasting, degenerative disease], with fever and inflammation [possibly infectious contagions).... and the tumors, the scurvy [deficiency disease] and the itch, of which you cannot be healed. The Lord will smite you with madness [mental disorders] and blindness and dismay of heart [emotional trauma]” (verses 15, 21-22, 27-28, The Amplified Bible).
Misgovernment, greed and oppression over the course of nearly 6000 years of history have saddled the human race with the unwanted burden of disease. For instance, man’s proclivity to crowd into disease — prone cities is indicative of this problem. And it is interesting to note that Bible prophecy seems to indicate that this crowd-atall-costs policy will eventually backfire on the human race. Notice Leviticus 26:25: “… And when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you… .” Also Ezekiel 7:15: “The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him.”
Jesus Himself warned that the “signs” of the end of the age would include pestilences:
7…And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:6-8)
11 And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. (Luke 21:11)
Whether or not the Zika virus is to be pestilential will be seen. But its affect on babies is major.
There are more and more infections popping up and becoming concerns. Pestilences are coming.
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