PLOS Science Wednesday: Hi reddit, we’re Erin, Jameison, and Chris. We
published a study in PLOS NTDS that identifies numerous factors
propelling the Zika virus outbreak in the Americas – Ask Us Anything!
Abstract
Hi Reddit, My name is Erin Mordecai and I am an Assistant Professor of
Biology at Stanford University. My research focuses on the complex ways
in which global change (including climate, land use, species invasions,
etc.) influences infectious disease. I am joined by coauthors Jamieson
O’Marr and Chris LeBoa. Jameison is a junior undergraduate majoring in
biology at Stanford University, whose research interests involve using
ecological methods to study and predict the spread of infectious
disease. Chris is an undergraduate human biology major at Stanford
University concentrating in disease ecology. His research focuses on
using preventative strategies to reduce infectious disease risk. We
recently published a review paper titled “Environmental and Social
Change Drive the Explosive Emergence of Zika Virus in the Americas” in
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. This study was unusual in that it was
written as a class project in my Stanford undergraduate seminar course,
Bio 2N: Global Change and the Ecology and Evolution of Infectious
Disease. We set out to explore all the ways in which global change may
have fueled the emergence and spread of Zika virus in the Americas in
the last two years. We found evidence for many factors at play,
including poor housing and infrastructure, suitable climate, abundant
mosquitoes that are well adapted to live and breed near humans, lapsed
mosquito control, and global travel. For example, we found that Zika
cases shot up in a province in Ecuador following a massive earthquake
that destroyed housing and infrastructure. We also found that
deforestation and low GDP both correlated with the number of Zika-linked
microcephaly cases in Brazil. Because of the high suitability for
mosquito transmission throughout much of the Americas (including parts
of the southern US), we need to be much more vigilant about vector
control and rapid public health responses to new emerging diseases. We
will be answering your questions at 1pm ET – Ask Us Anything! Don’t
forget to follow Erin on Twitter @morde.