Health Department warns Zika and West Nile virus reported in Alabama
The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) is urging state residents to guard themselves against mosquitoes as several cases of Zika and West Nile virus have been reported across the state. ADPH officials say they are currently investigating the cases. “Mosquitoes can transmit viruses when they bite, causing illnesses that range from mild to severe or even fatal,” according to Sherri Davidson, interim state epidemiologist. Infection with the Zika virus causes only mild symptoms in the majority of the cases, but the biggest risk is to pregnant women. Zika is now known to cause birth defects and other poor pregnancy-related outcomes if infection occurs during pregnancy. “To date in Alabama, the Zika virus has only been identified in individuals known to have traveled to areas where Zika is known to be endemic. There has been no local transmission,” ADPH explained. Luckily, there are several things Alabamians can do to lower the risk of disease. Dr. Dee Jones, state public health veterinarian, says, “The best way to avoid getting a disease from a mosquito is to reduce the risk of being bitten.” You can help keep mosquitoes off of your skin and out of your yard by following these recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): When going outdoors, use EPA-registered repellents containing 20 percent DEET on skin or permethrin on clothes. Follow label instructions carefully when using any repellent. Repellents should not be used on infants less than 2 months old. Wear loose-fitting long sleeves and long pants. Install or repair screens on windows and doors. Use air-conditioning, if available. Empty standing water from items outside homes such as flowerpots, buckets, old tires and children’s pools. Clean clogged gutters and clear drainage ditches and pipes of debris. Public health environmentalists often conduct courtesy yard inspections in neighborhoods to help educate the public on mosquito control around the home and mosquito bite prevention.
Auburn University research team discovers Zika-transmitting mosquito species in Alabama
Auburn University researchers have discovered the presence of Aedes aegypti — the primary mosquito that transmits Zika virus, yellow fever and other flaviviruses — in Alabama. After a 26-year absence of the mosquito, Sarah Zohdy, Auburn School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Assistant Professor of Disease Ecology, and wildlife sciences undergraduate student Victoria Ashby have discovered the species in Mobile. Ae. aegypti was thought to have been eliminated from the state. “Our CDC-funded research has not only allowed for the detection and molecular confirmation of the mosquito in the state, but over the last year we have documented the spread of the mosquito from central Mobile to all of Mobile County,” Zohdy said. The study was conducted from July 2016 to September 2017. Mosquitoes were collected twice a month from the grounds of various tire shops, gas stations, abandoned buildings and open containers quantified to estimate larval abundance. A total of 1,074 mosquitoes were collected, with Ae. aegypti being detected most commonly in the 36606 ZIP code of southwest Mobile, where there were more open containers than any other area in the city. Since 1991, Ae. aegypti was thought to have been displaced in Alabama by another container-breeding mosquito, Ae. albopictus, because Ae. albopictus larvae are better competitors with resource-limited habitats and the males are capable of mating with Ae. aegypti and rendering the females sterile. Despite these advantages, Mobile is the ideal habitat for Ae. aegypti reintroduction or for remnant populations to persist because the city’s maritime traffic and its diverse mix of urban, suburban, rural and industrial environments allow the mosquito to find different habitats where it can either escape from Ae. albopictus or have the competitive upper hand. Aedes aegypti, the primary mosquito that transmits the Zika virus, has been rediscovered in Mobile after a 26-year absence. (CDC) The detection of Ae. aegypti confirms that Alabama residents could be at risk to contract several mosquito-transmitted diseases. “This work demonstrates that citizens of Alabama may be exposed to the mosquito vector of Zika, chikungunya and Dengue fever viruses,” Zohdy said. Zika virus spreads to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. Female mosquitoes become infected by ingesting microbes from a person’s blood while biting them and then passing those microbes to the next person’s blood stream. Once infected, the mosquito is then thought to remain infected and able to pass on the virus throughout the remainder of its life, about two to four weeks. During this period they may take three to four blood meals, biting up to four or five people during their lifespan. Ae. aegypti is particularly problematic because it will also bite during the day and is very adaptive to different environments. Specific geographic areas of greatest risk are correlated to the existence of the Aedes species. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, has developed estimated-range maps using models that predict potential geographic ranges where the Zika-transmitting mosquitoes would likely survive and reproduce based on local and historical records and suitable climate variables. According to the 2017 maps, the Zika-transmitting mosquito species are very likely to exist throughout the southeastern U.S. and as far west as California and as far north as Delaware. Despite Alabama being an ideal habitat for mosquitoes that transmit Zika virus, very little mosquito surveillance data has been collected from around the state. Zohdy said that because of its research efforts and the discovery of Ae. aegypti, her team is now working with the Alabama Department of Public Health. According to the CDC, 449 symptomatic Zika virus disease cases were reported within the U.S. in 2017, with three reported in Alabama and two in Georgia. The majority of cases were instances of travelers contracting the disease from affected areas. Seven cases were acquired through presumed local mosquito-borne transmission — two in Florida and five in Texas. Zohdy’s team is conducting research in all 67 counties in Alabama to determine how widespread Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus are across the state. In an effort to crowd-source mosquito surveillance data around the state, Zohdy’s research team has partnered with Prakash Lab at Stanford University to develop and implement an app called “Abuzz,” which will allow Alabama residents to record the sound of a mosquito flying. From this recording, the app can identify the species of mosquito and whether that species could potentially carry a disease by the sound of the buzzing of its wings. Once deployed, the app can empower volunteer “citizen scientists” to participate in mosquito surveillance to help researchers increase the volume and locations of data collection. “Alabama has had little mosquito surveillance in the past, and we hope this app can change that to make it the best-sampled state in the nation,” Zohdy said. Zohdy and her team also surveyed Mobile residents to gain insight about their perceptions of Zika virus and the best ways to target mosquito prevention. Of those responses, 70 percent reported a moderate to very high density of mosquitoes in their home and more than half of those surveyed said they feel concerned to extremely concerned that they or a family member might contract Zika virus. “To help mitigate the threat of the Zika virus it is critical to understand local knowledge and behavioral factors related to exposure to the mosquitoes,” said Wayde Morse, an Auburn School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences associate professor of human dimensions, who participated in the research efforts. The results of the research were published April 5 in the Journal of Medical Entomology, a scientific journal that historically publishes important information regarding mosquito surveillance. “Having this research published is a good way to reach people who study mosquitoes and other disease vectors,” Zohdy said. Victoria Ashby, a sophomore studying wildlife sciences with a pre-veterinary medicine concentration, has worked with Zohdy’s research team for more than a year and leads fieldwork efforts. “My fieldwork has consisted of biweekly trips down to the Mobile Bay area in order to aspirate for adult mosquitoes and collect larvae using larval dip cups at 25 different sites in 12 ZIP codes,” she said. After graduation, Ashby plans to attend graduate school to continue on the path of disease ecology research and later attend veterinary school. “I have a strong interest in veterinary epidemiology and public health
Abortion rights group hits Marco Rubio over Zika
A top abortion rights organization is taking a swing at Sen. Marco Rubio. NARAL Pro-Choice America released a new campaign ad Tuesday, hitting Rubio over his decision to support legislation that didn’t fund women’s health clinics in the wake of the Zika outbreak. The advertisement — part of a six-figure ad campaign — also takes a swing at Rubio for not allowing women infected with the disease to get an abortion. “Sen. Rubio is putting the interests of extreme right-wing groups ahead of the women of Florida. Rubio’s actions are putting women and families in Florida, ground zero for this outbreak, at much greater risk,” said Sasha Bruce, senior vice president for campaigns and strategy at NARAL, in a statement. “Women deserve a full range of health care options, including abortion, not options limited by Sen. Rubio’s extreme and out-of-touch political beliefs. This is true always, but especially during a public health crisis. Sen. Rubio should stop playing politics and do the right thing for women and families of Florida.” Rubio backed several Zika funding bills, including a House GOP-backed bill that, among other things, included provisions to defund Planned Parenthood in Puerto Rico. Senate Democrats blocked that $1.1 billion funding bill in June. The Senate is expected to take up the bill again Tuesday. “The Zika virus is here; it’s dangerous to pregnant women, and it has no cure. But Marco Rubio voted against funding health clinics that provide critical care during this public health emergency,” an announcer says in the ad. “Marco Rubio continues to be against a woman’s right to choose an abortion even they’re infected with the Zika virus. Tell Marco Rubio to stop putting his agenda ahead of the health and safety of women and families.” The ad will air on TV in Orlando and West Palm Beach, while digital ads will run across the state. “Patrick Murphy is the only candidate to have voted against every measure to fund Zika – once again putting himself and his political aspirations before Floridians,” said Olivia Perez-Cubas, a spokeswoman for Rubio’s campaign. “Marco was one of the first Republicans to support the president’s funding request and has supported every single Zika proposal that has come up in the Senate. Meanwhile, Murphy continues to exploit this public health and economic emergency in order to score political points. There were 705 cases of Zika in Florida as of Sept. 1. According to the Department of Health, 80 of those cases involved pregnant women, while 49 cases were locally acquired cases. The organization is running similar ads in Tennessee and Mississippi.
Martha Roby: Democrats’ dangerous game with Zika funding
In June I relayed the good news that the House had passed appropriations legislation providing funding for our nation’s response to the Zika virus. It is important for Congress to ensure agencies like the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, and others have the resources they need to combat the disease and prevent it from spreading. Sadly, two months later, that compromise funding bill has yet to become law. Why? Senate Democrats, led by Democratic Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, have twice blocked the legislation by denying the majority the 60 votes needed to allow a vote on the bill. The Wall Street Journal opines further that “they walked out on their own bill on Thursday to use the issue as a campaign bludgeon against Republicans.” Is that fair? Let’s review their stated objections: First, Senate Democrats take issue with temporarily waiving a requirement to obtain a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency to use certain proven mosquito-killing sprays like DDT. However, killing mosquitoes is exactly what we need to be doing right now and an emergency waiver of this kind can help states and communities quickly respond to the Zika threat without a bureaucratic permitting delay. Furthermore, the bill specifically requires any pesticide used to already be approved under and applied in compliance with The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. Next, Senate Democrats objected to the bill offsetting the cost by reallocating $543 million from Obamacare funding. However, the Obamacare money in question is leftover funding meant for setting up healthcare exchanges in territories that became unnecessary — and unused — when Puerto Rico expanded Medicaid. Finding unspent funds to help offset the costs of emergency spending is basic fiscal responsibility, not a reason to block a bill. Finally, and probably most importantly, Senate Democrats are upset the Zika appropriations bill does not allocate funding for Planned Parenthood, arguing it leaves women without care options. But, that’s not true. The bill allocates $40 million for community health centers that are more plentiful and offer a wider range of care, plus $6 million for the National Health Service Corps and $95 million to the Social Services Grant Program that can distribute funds for preventive care to the most at-risk areas. It is simply not the job of the federal government to fund the nation’s largest abortion provider, and it is unconscionable that Senate Democrats would block funding aimed to help protect pregnant women and babies because their friends at Planned Parenthood don’t get a cut. Of course, President Obama has taken the Senate Democrats’ side for the most part. However, as Roll Call reports, the president’s spokesmen are having a hard time explaining why, amid all the clamoring for more funding from Congress, the administration has yet to tap into at least $385 million in unspent funds it could quickly access without congressional approval to combat Zika. The Zika threat is real and it is here. Critical legislation is one step (and about four Senate votes) away from the president’s desk. A public health crisis of this magnitude is no time to block emergency funding in the name of politics. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband, Riley, and their two children.
Guns, immigration and Zika top agenda as Congress returns
Gun control, immigration and money to combat the Zika virus top the congressional agenda as lawmakers sprint toward the political conventions this month and a seven-week summer recess. Amid all that, Republicans plan to squeeze in a meeting with Donald Trump on Thursday. The House and Senate have just eight legislative days before their break, and lawmakers have scheduled a handful of politically charged votes with implications for incumbents in November’s election. In the House, legislation to fight terrorism and a gun control measure that already failed in the Senate are planned for this week. House Speaker Paul Ryan said a GOP plan to keep suspected terrorists from obtaining firearms would do so “without compromising a citizen’s basic bill of rights,” including the rights to bear arms and receive due process under the law. In the Senate, immigration bills and legislation to impose labeling on genetically modified food are on tap. Unclear is whether Republicans and Democrats can resolve the dispute over funds for the mosquito-borne Zika virus now that summer is in full swing, or whether the matter will have to wait until September when Congress returns. A look at the issues: ___ ZIKA Back in February, President Barack Obama requested $1.9 billion in emergency money to fight Zika, which causes grave birth defects and has infected 287 pregnant women in the United States and 250 in U.S. territories, according to the most recent numbers from the Centers for Disease Control. Congress has failed to fund the request as the issue has been caught up in partisan fights and the typical dysfunction. House Republicans rammed through a bill that would provide $1.1 billion by cutting money from other government agencies. The legislation, to the anger of Democrats, would bar new funding for Planned Parenthood clinics in Puerto Rico and allow pesticide spraying that environmentalists argue would be harmful. Senate Democrats have blocked the bill and another vote is expected this week, although progress is unlikely. ___ GUN CONTROL Bowing to election-year pressure from Democrats, Ryan, R-Wis., says the House will vote on a GOP proposal aimed at keeping suspected terrorists from obtaining firearms, a measure backed by the National Rifle Association. Democrats want to vote on their own gun control bills, and they haven’t ruled out a return to disruptive tactics if they’re rebuffed. Ryan indicated on Tuesday that Democrats are unlikely to get a vote. Democrats staged a sit-in on the House floor that lasted nearly 26 hours last month to call attention to their demand for gun-control votes. The sit-in followed the June 12 mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, that killed 49 people and heightened attention on the national toll taken by firearms. The GOP bill would let the government block firearms purchases for suspected terrorists, but only if prosecutors can prove in court that the buyer is involved in terrorism. It would also establish a new office within the Department of Homeland Security to focus on preventing extremist groups from recruiting followers. Democrats say the Republican bill is too weak. They want votes on one measure expanding background check requirements for gun buyers, and a second banning firearms sales to terror suspects without requiring prosecutors to first prove the buyer was embarking on terrorism. ___ FAA REAUTHORIZATION Key House and Senate lawmakers are close to a deal on a bill to extend the Federal Aviation Administration’s programs and policies, which are due to expire on July 15. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., chairman of the House Transportation Committee, has agreed to temporarily drop his contentious plan to privatize the nation’s air traffic control system in order to allow a bill to move forward. Negotiations have focused on what policy provisions to include in the extension. There is strong support in both chambers to include an array of proposals to enhance airports security in light of recent airport attacks in Istanbul and Brussels. Proposals to extend new protections to airline consumers, relax medical requirements for private pilots and lift some restrictions on commercial drone flights are also under discussion. ___ TRUMP House and Senate Republicans are slated to meet with the GOP’s presumptive presidential nominee less than two weeks before the party convention in Cleveland. Among those expected to attend the separate sessions are Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee, Jeff Sessions of Alabama and Joni Ernst of Iowa, all of whom have been mentioned as possible running mates for the blustery billionaire. Trump’s short list of possible vice presidential candidates is heavy with Washington insiders who could help usher his agenda through Congress. ____ IMMIGRATION Senate Democrats are expected to block a GOP bill that would withhold congressional funding from so-called sanctuary cities that shield residents from federal immigration authorities. Republicans also are proposing a bill to impose a mandatory minimum sentence of five years for any person who illegally re-enters the country after being removed. Republicans have pushed for action since last year when 32-year-old Kathryn Steinle was shot in San Francisco. The man charged in the killing was in the country illegally despite a long criminal record and multiple prior deportations. He had been released by San Francisco authorities despite a request from federal immigration authorities to keep him detained. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Karen Cyphers: Meme-ification of reason (and politics) – an experiment
Part of my job at Sachs Media Group is running data experiments that nobody has asked us to run, for the simple pleasure of satisfying curiosity and the attempt to better understand what kinds of things matter to people. Our themes generally relate back to the space of communications or politics. For example: does reading news on a mobile device versus a newspaper change people’s perception of social dynamics? (Yes.) This week’s experiment took a similar approach, using a survey of 1,536 American adults to ask: Does the presentation of a message in meme form change how credible that information seems? We published a blog post detailing the research methods and findings here. To recap with a twist: the answer to this question is a little more complicated, and depending on how you interpret the results, a little more than disturbing. For content that is fairly plausible to start with (i.e., foreign software companies create computer viruses to boost sale of products), presenting it in meme form matters very little. For respondents viewing this type of content, ratings of credibility were statistically matched between those who saw the message in meme form and those who saw it in text only. But then there’s the sketchier sort of message. You know, the type that alleges governments spread sinister chemicals to populations through “chemtrails” or fluoride; pharmaceutical companies hide cancer-curing drugs because treating cancer is more profitable; or … as we chose to focus on in this experiment … (1) the idea that Zika-was-created-by-the-vaccine-industry-to-boost-sales, and (2) reptilian-aliens-disguised-as-humans-control-our-minds-and-seek-world-domination. As long as we’re going outlandish, might as well test the effect of memes against the best, right? For these two less-than-credible messages, perceived credibility nearly doubles when the information is presented in meme form. For respondents viewing content on reptoids in text only, just 6.7 percent rated the content as “very” credible. In comparison, among respondents viewing this identical content via meme, 11.5 percent rated the content as “very” credible. Similarly, on Zika, 7.8 percent of text readers rated the content as “very” credible compared with 11.2 percent of meme viewers. In other words, credibility was rated 72 percent greater among meme viewers than text readers on the topic of reptoids, and on Zika, credibility was 44 percent higher among meme viewers. Why? At least historically, memes have been used to convey material that is already established as common sentiment. Memes, therefore, may be perceived (particularly by low-information consumers) as representative of public sentiment, even when their message is in actuality based on complete bunk. Even where that first condition is not really met, memes require agreement (in the form of “shares”) to spread between viewers, with each posted meme carrying the endorsement of every person who shared it to that point. Put in the language of cognitive psychology: we suspect that “memeification” serves as a heuristic or proxy for credibility. Much like people receive content from trusted messengers with less resistance than unknown spokespersons, memes give people the sense that the content has passed muster with innumerable others, likely including their own online friends. More simply: the content wouldn’t have been memed if it weren’t considered obviously true to so many already. Our experiment suggests that memes serve to disseminate information in a way that doesn’t trigger scrutiny from viewers. Much like certain diseases take hold in the body because they are built to evade immune response, memes are built to communicate the safety or truthiness of a message even where it is not deserved. While meme authors may not make their quippy art with the intent to deceive, the medium inspires acceptance to a greater degree than the same information would enjoy in text form. As the 2016 election cycle continues its demoralizing, noxious (click here for more synonyms that all apply, sadly) plod toward November, we can feel at least moderately entertained watching Bernie’s Dank Meme Stash grow. Perhaps you, too, can contribute to the perception of mass agreement by captioning Kermit, Keanu and Grumpy Cat. Maybe even for the better.
