How to significantly reduce your risk of contracting the Zika virus

Created January 2016
* As a traveler to an area which has Zika * If you live in an area which is visited by Zika In both situations you want to strengthen your immune system * A easy way to strengthen your immune system is to increase the vitamin D levels in your body * For most people that can be done quite quickly -within a week – by taking 50,000 IU of vitamin D daily for a week. The immune system will remain strong for about 2 months, plenty enough time to visit an area with mosquitos carrying various diseases, such as Zika. * If you do not need protection until two months in the future you could just take 5,000 IU of vitamin D daily. * If you are visiting a mosquito area, mosquito repellants and killers work well, for a few weeks. * But mosquito repellents and killers should not be used on a long term basis, as they often cause health problems. Eliminating potential places of standing water around your house provides long-term protection. The Zika mosquito rarely goes more than 300 feet from the place it was born. You could also eliminate potential standing water near our school, the place where you work, etc. *    Note: Mosquito netting does not help as the Zika mosquito does not bite at night *    Note: Most mosquitos lay their eggs in standing water. *     The Zika mosquito however, can lay eggs in a small, dry, depression *     and the eggs will hatch when water accumulates as much as a year later.

     Zika en Espanol      Zika em português

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Important updates - April - May 2016

* Prevent Zika birth defects with Vitamin D Started April 15 * Congenital Zika Syndrome (more than microcephaly) – Spring 2016 * appears that Zika brain damage occurs in 1 in 4 Zika pregnant mothers * vs microcephaly in 100 Zika infections in 1st trimester of pregnancy * Zika Virus and Pregnancy -review with questions and answers March 2016 * Zika virus and pregnancy - evidence, management, and prevention – March 2016 * MRI may be better than ultrasound for early detection, but much more expensive * Zika and pregnancy ultrasound guidance (perhaps not just microc. and 1st trimester)– March 2016 * Dengue Antibodies appear to enhance Zika Infection – April 2016 * Dengue fever immune response and micronutrients (vitamins D, E, A, and Zinc, Iron, Chromium) – Nov 2015 * Infectious diseases and vitamin D – update May 2015 * Severe malaria 9 percent less likely with each extra 1 nanogram of vitamin D – 2014 * Many Infectious diseases (virus) treated and prevented by Vitamin D – review July 2009 * Zika microcephaly – perhaps just the tip of the iceberg – physician alert – March 2016 * Dengue Fever associated with poor vitamin D receptor – July 2002 * Virus blocking by placenta when mother has enough vitamin D * Healthy pregnancies need lots of vitamin D * 13 very important reasons to give vitamin D for pregnancy - not including Zika prevention

Zika virus is an enveloped virus

  • Zika virus Wikipedia

  • Viral envelope Wikipedia: examples: Herpes simplex virus (cold sore), varicella-zoster virus (Shingles), cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, Hepatitis B virus, retrovirus - like HIV, Dengue virus, Yellow fever virus, Measles virus, Mumps virus, smallpox, West Nile virus

Zika virus is also a Flavivirus virus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavivirus lists 50-100 Flavivirus viruses: humans, mammals, sea birds, etc.

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Put cursor on image to see table of Virus Families in Wikipedia''

Vitamin D has been shown to treat most enveloped viruses (by strengthening the immune system)

Important notes

  1. Zika virus is transmitted by sex as well as mosquito NYT Feb 2, 2016

  2. Zika eggs laid on vehicles (trucks, cars, boats, airplanes) can travel 1,000's of miles before getting instant mosquitos after a rain

    • Zika eggs can lie dormant for over a year before being hatched by water

    • Wonder how long it will be until countries start fumigating vehicles and contents passing thru customs.

  3. Deet caused problems in 1/4 of employees if used for a long time (months?) Scientific American

    • rashes, skin irritation, numb or burning lips, nausea, headaches, dizziness and difficulty concentrating.

See Zika on the web - the latest is at the bottom

  • Zika virus outbreak in the Americas (2015–present) Wikipedia

  • How Scared Should You Be About Zika? NYT Jan 29 2016

    • "Think of Aedes aegypti as the Norway rat of mosquitoes;

    • it has evolved to live in close quarters with humans, and the trash that humans create"

  • Short Answers to Hard Questions About Zika Virus NYT Jan 29 2016 excellent!

    • "The Asian tiger mosquito , Aedes albopictus, is also known to transmit the virus, but it is not clear how efficiently . That mosquito ranges as far north as New York and Chicago in summer."

  • "Microcephaly is rare, and it has many other causes, including infection of the fetus with rubella (German measles), cytomegalovirus or toxoplasmosis; poisoning of the fetus by alcohol, mercury or radiation; or severe maternal malnutrition and diabetes. It is also caused by several gene mutations, including Down syndrome."

  • Vitamin D is better than ANY vaccine and increases the immune system by 3-5 times

    • YouTube Video, Aug 2009, Dr. Pendergast

  • Zika Is the Next Front in the Mosquito Wars Bloomberg Feb 4, 2016

    • "The Aedes aegypti mosquito weighs less than a grain of rice, lives only a few weeks, and doesn’t stray more than 100 yards from where it hatches" (Note: Eggs can hitch a ride on vehicles - just add rain 1,000's of miles away and get instant mosquitos)

    • "The number of reported cases of dengue each year has jumped from about 125,000 in the 1970s to more than 3 million in 2013."

    •       VitaminDWiki wonders what % of that 24X increase is due to substantially decreased vitamin D levels during that time period

    • "There were 214 million malaria cases globally in 2015 and 438,000 deaths, compared with about 13,000 from dengue"

  • Brazil had eradicated by 1958 but it did not need a visa to get back into the country

  • How a Medical Mystery in Brazil Led Doctors to Zika Excellent article by NYT Feb 6 2016

  • Why some people are mosquito magnets NBC News May 2011

    • ~20 % of people are high attractor types - no known reason

    • Dark color clothing, Carbon Dioxide,

    • "Those with higher metabolic rates produce more carbon dioxide, as do larger people and pregnant women "

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito

    • "Of 72 types of odor receptors on its antennae, at least 27 are tuned to detect chemicals found in perspiration"

    • "Various species of mosquitoes are estimated to transmit various types of disease to more than 700 million people annually"

  • Ride With the Mosquito Hunters Protecting the US Against Zika Wired Feb 2016

    • "In the thick of summer, some mosquito somewhere (in Texas) will pick up Zika and spread it. “It’s a matter of when, not if,”"

    • "A. aegypti likes to fly low, biting ankles and feet"

    • "A. aegypti, the interloper from Africa that’s already brought dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya with it to Texas. Zika will soon be on the list."

    • "The mosquito control division regularly sets out traps baited with dry ice (carbon dioxide, which attracts the bugs)"

  • Study in Brazil Links Zika Virus to Eye Damage in Babies NYT Feb 9, 2016

    • all 10 Zika newborns had eye damage

    • “Based on my experience, I would say a large number of these kids will be blind,”

  • This Mosquito Likes Us Too Much For Our Own Good NPR Feb 11, 2016

    • "Aedes aegypti is the dog of the mosquito world. It acts as if it's man's best friend."

    • "For a long time it was known as the "Yellow Fever" mosquito because it's the primary vector for the virus that causes yellow fever. Aedes aegypti also spreads dengue and chikungunya."

    • "But Aedes aegypti is what's known as a "sip feeder." It takes lots of little sips of blood from lots of people. "

    • It doesn't bite at night like the mosquitoes that transmit malaria, so bed nets are not necessarily useful.

    • They rest both inside and outside houses so there's not an easy way to target the adult mosquito [with pesticide]."

  • Aedes aegypti is a Floodwater Mosquito University of Florida

    • Their eggs MUST DRY OUT then later be wetted before hatching can begin

    • "Unfortunately, for those who are diligent about dumping water and cleaning up containers around their home, this type of local and small scale effort will not contribute much impact to reducing mosquitoes in the floodwater sites"

  • Prepare for ‘Guerrilla Warfare’ With Zika-Carrying Mosquitoes, Experts Warn NYT Feb 12

    • “It’s the cockroach of mosquitoes,” said Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It lives indoors around people and hides in dark places.”

    • "That makes it much harder for droplets sprayed from airplanes or trucks to come into contact with it to kill it. (Floodwater mosquitoes, the ones that bother Americans on summer nights, rarely spread disease. Spraying works on them because they are often flying.)"

  • NPR

    • "The Aedes aegypti likes to lay its eggs in several places, giving its offspring a better chance to survive, and those eggs can stay viable for an incredible 450 days, in a kind of suspended animation,"

  • http://www.wired.com/2016/02/cdc-sees-birth-defects-pregnant-us-travelers wired Feb 26

    • 9 pregnant US travelers with Zika virus: 1 severe microcephaly. 2 miscarriages. 2 abortions;

  • Zika is expected to infect 1 in 5 Puerto Ricans, raising threat to rest of U.S.

    • On Monday, authorities in Puerto Rico began distributing free Zika prevention kits to pregnant women that were created by the CDC and the CDC Foundation.

    • The kits include information and tools to help them reduce risk of infection and include repellent, products that kill mosquito larvae, and condoms."

  • Zika Virus and Pregnancy: A Review of the Literature and Clinical Considerations - March 2016

  • Research indicates other mosquitoes may be able to carry Zika Reuters March 3

    • "Culex quinquefasciatus is 20 times more common than Aedes aegypti,"

    • Infected the mosquito in the lab, do not know if it can transmit the virus to humans

    • "Culex quinquefasciatus also exists in more temperate climes, such as the southern United States, where it is known to carry the West Nile virus, and can survive winters. Unlike Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus could keep a virus in circulation during cold months."

    • " . . which rests in trees and other high areas, would need to be different from those for Aedes aegypti, which rests in low spots, often indoors."

  • A Zika breakthrough: Scientists detail how virus can attack fetal brain Washington Post March 4

    • Study "took place in a controlled environment, with lab-grown stem cells"

  • CDC update - very little Zika above 6500' (2000 meters) March 11

    • Not a surprise - lots of UVB at high altitude ==> more vitamin D ==> improved immune system

    • So many people have good immune systems at high altitude that viruses are not able to become contagious

  • http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/273469-hhs-chief-zika-cases-rise-to-450-in-us 450 cases of Zika infection in US & Puerto Rico as of March 17, 2016

    • Seems strange that the Zika infected people are not encourage/forced to wear mosquito repellant so as to minimize the chance that a local mosquito does not get the virus from them: Comment by VitaminDWiki

    • Only 1 in 4 people get Zika symptoms
      Perhaps 3 out of 4 people had immune systems which were strong enough to fight off Zika
         Vitamin D strengthens immune systems

  • Frightening images show the insidious way Zika appears to attack babies’ brains April 11 Washington Post

  • Zika is a big news in many countries March 18 (but not so much in the US) (from Unfiltered,news - Google)

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  • Zika Is a Delayed Epidemic Atlantic April 19, 2016

    • Great title, nice article

    • What about kids who get infected? “Are there going to be long term cognitive consequences of pediatric exposure? We don't know,”

    • . . . that for the Gulf Coast of the U.S., Zika could be “a catastrophe to rival Hurricane Katrina” if preventive measures aren’t taken.

    • Several countries—Brazil, Ecuador, Jamaica, Colombia, and El Salvador—have advised women to delay getting pregnant for anywhere from six months to “indefinitely,”

  • Zika threatens TWO BILLION people across the world April 21, 2016

    📄 Download the e-life PDF from VitaminDWiki

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Guillan Barre Syndrome increase may also be related to Zika

  • Normally extremely rare, and only in elderly and can lead to complete paralysis from the neck down

  • Zika virus's other looming threat CNN Feb 5 2016

    • "Guillan Barre Syndrome an autoimmune disease, puts everyone, potentially, at risk - males and females, pregnant or not, and there's nothing we can do to make sure any particular case of Zika infection doesn't turn into GBS"

    • " GBS is normally rare -- affecting less than 2 people per 100,000 in any given year in the United States"

  • Here’s the Other Zika Problem Experts Are Worried About Time Feb 8, 2016

    • "Researchers are studying a possible link between Zika and Guillain-Barré syndrome"

    • “One thing that has struck us is the cases have tended to be disproportionately young and relatively healthy,” Sejvar said. “We are seeing quite a few 20, 30, 40 year olds who are otherwise healthy.”

    • In addition, the cases appear particularly severe. “Over time people often get better, but one thing that we have noticed is that even among otherwise healthy people, six months later they are still having neurological problems,” Sejvar said. “Some can’t go to work or need help with daily activities. That’s something we found peculiar.”

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Mosquito repellent is also very good

About a 40X reduction in mosquito landings with good repellent such as high strength DEET

Many other repellents are not nearly as good

No indications of reduction in mosquito bites so far

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  • What's The Best Way To Keep Mosquitoes From Biting? Feb 5, 2016 Excellent

    • Person who was interviewed wrote a book "Prevention of Bug Bites, Stings, and Disease" in 2009 (on Amazon

    •     Excellent book!!

    • "DEET is shorthand for the chemical name N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide

    • " Picaridin is a little more effective than DEET and seems to keep mosquitoes at a greater distance," he says. When people use DEET, mosquitoes may land on them but not bite. When they use a product containing picaridin, mosquitoes are less likely to even land. Repellents with IR 3535 are slightly less effective, Strickman says, but they don't have the strong smell of other products.

    • "To avoid irritating the eyes, put the repellent on hands and rub it on the face."

    • " tucking pants into socks or shoes helps keep mosquitoes from getting inside clothing."

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    • 📄 Download the original study from VitaminDWiki

  • MOSQUITOES Michigan date unknown

    • The third pattern is an egg laid singly out of the water.

    • These eggs are adapted to withstand dry conditions until there are floods and they can hatch.

    • The pattern of egg lying depends on the specific type of Mosquito.

    • Most mosquitoes stay close to where they were hatched so they can raise another brood.

    • Some mosquito species only have one generation each year. Others can have four or more!

  • Off! Mosquito Clip On Fan, Does It Work?

    • Does not work well in winds or even if you are walking much

    • “A clip-on fan can be handy in certain situations but don’t count on it as your primary repellent.”

  • Tests show that sounds do not repel mosquitos BBC News 2012

Recommendation: Use mosquito repellent every 4-6 hours to deter mosquito landing

    & Vitamin D to improve immune systems if a mosquito does bite

A loading dose of 400,000 IU of vitamin D (generally taken over a week) will strengthen immune system for ~ 3 months

A loading dose does not require a prescription and costs as little as $2

For most adults 400,000 IU will be enough to

  • improve immune systems ability to fight off many diseases, not just Zika

    • ~Hs~  immune system of mother as well as immune system of the placenta

  • typically make people feel much healthier for months

Mosquito traps will reduce the number of mosquitoes in a yard (but not all of them)

Bacteria-Laden Mosquitoes may be a low-cost way to stop both Dengue and Zika virus

Technology Review Feb 26

Gates Foundation, using bacteria natural to half of all insects, cost of $5/person and perhaps as low as $1/person - with no annual update cost

Has already been tested in Australia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Rio de Janeiro to stop Dengue

No data just yet as to effectiveness.

__VitaminDWiki comment - while there can be problems with this method, fumigating entire countries is probably worse **### The Mosquito is the deadliest animal

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Mosquitoes actually have 6 needles, not just one

3 minute Video Scientific American June 2016

1 saws the skin, 3 widen the hole, 1 pumps the blood, 1 de-clotts the blood (and creates itching and provides virus)

Also - the needles "sniffs out" and bends to the blood

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Other deadly viruses carried by the same mosquito

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Tags: Virus