Zika is more dangerous than many thought; USA has its first Zika death

Electron microscope view of Zika virus

The mosquito-transmitted Zika virus is spreading and causing concerns in many parts of the world:

Zika is MORE dangerous than we thought: Experts say virus could affect up to a FIFTH of infected pregnant women’s babies

Zika virus is linked with microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome

Previously thought it could affect 1% of infected pregnant women’s babies

Experts think it could be behind more damaging neurological conditions

World Health Organisation says it could spread to Europe in summer

May 2, 2016

The Zika virus could be more dangerous in pregnant women than first feared, Brazilian scientists have warned.

Experts are now linking it to several neurological conditions – in addition to microcephaly, where babies are born with abnormally small heads.

Dr Renato Sa, an obstetrician and foetal medicine specialist, said he believes babies in up to a fifth of pregnant women with the virus could be affected.

‘The expectation is that a woman who has had Zika has a one per cent chance of having a baby with microcephaly,’ he told the BBC.

‘But if we consider a range of other possible neurological conditions, that figure rises to about 20 per cent.’

The virus has long been linked to babies being born with microcephaly – a disease characterised by unusually small heads and developmental problems.

It has also been linked to Guillain-Barré syndrome – a nerve disorder that causes temporary muscle paralysis. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3569236/Zika-dangerous-thought-Experts-say-virus-affect-FIFTH-infected-pregnant-women-s-babies.html#ixzz47VPmzxHd

WASHINGTON—

The first known death from the Zika virus on U.S. territory was reported Friday as lawmakers left Washington for a weeklong recess. Neither house of Congress has approved funding to combat Zika, despite increasingly dire warnings from U.S. health officials.

It was the death of an elderly man in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, that marked an ominous milestone for the Zika virus in the United States. A Zika infection usually is not life threatening, but it may spread from a pregnant woman to her child and cause microcephaly and other severe conditions.

“This is a public health emergency. That is what our public health experts have told us,” said White House spokesman Josh Earnest late last week.

The White House has requested nearly $2 billion in emergency funding to target the mosquito that carries Zika and promote the development of a vaccine. …

U.S. officials believe the Zika-carrying mosquito could spread to at least 30 U.S. states. Devastating birth defects, already reported in Brazil and elsewhere, would likely follow. http://www.voanews.com/content/us-first-zika-death/3310732.html

Notice also the following:

The 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.” …

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.

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)

How pestilential the Zika virus is to be will be seen. But its affect on babies is major.

There are more and more infections popping up and becoming concerns. Pestilences are coming.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse What is the pale horse of death and pestilences? What will it bring and when? Spanish: El cuarto jinete de Apocalipsis, el caballo pálido de muerte y pestilencia.
GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here is a related YouTube video GMO Risks and the Bible.
Chimeras: Has Science Crossed the Line? What are chimeras? Has science crossed the line? Does the Bible give any clues?
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse What do each of the four horseman of the Apocalypse represent? Have they began their ride? Did Jesus discuss the any of this? Might their rides coincide with the “beginning of sorrows? Do they start their ride prior to the Great Tribulation? Did Nostradamus or any other ‘private prophets’ write predictions that may mislead people so that they may not understand the truth of one or more of the four horseman? There is also a related YouTube video titled The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2016, 2017, or 2018? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2016 o 2017? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives. A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation Start in 2016?