The Washington D.C. Monument is now a birdbath feared to be contaminated with living specimens of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes or what is commonly called the Zika virus. It is three blocks away from the capitol but no Capitol Hill mosquitoes have been tested so far.
According to CNN, Marcus Williams, a spokesman for the Washington Department of Health ensured that measures are being taken into account for the lab testing of Zika virus in mosquitoes. David Severson, an expert in mosquito genetics at the University of Notre Dame says, "It's really weird that it's here, so who knows where else it is?". It raises the questions for the possibilities of having populations of aegypti in the Northern U.S. cities as well.
Severson said that there is a small possibility for the virus outbreak in the Capitol Hill but still, it is possible to get positive results. Whether the birdbath is infected with Zika-carrying mosquitoes or not, the worry about Zika virus will not subside. A mosquito from the birdbath can bite and infect a human and then bite another person to pass on the virus.
BBC says that the Senate Democrats blocked a funding bill for efforts to combat the Zika virus. This has set out a commotion between Republicans and Democrats.
As reported by BBC, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, in his dismay towards the Republicans said that the bill passed by the Democrats gave him the impression of looking at the most irresponsible legislation he has ever seen in his 34 years in Congress. He cited some important figures such as the numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including the two thousand nine hundred Americans that have contracted Zika. He also quoted the information that eight pregnancies resulted in severe birth defects because of the Zika virus. Without enough funding, the studies on Zika virus and its effects will remain unknown to the world.
The World Health Organization is continuously conducting alternative studies to solve the Zika outbreak. One of the promising ones is the genetically modified mosquitoes that will be used to fight the virus.
Zika virus turns out to be a mosquito-borne terror. It is not just a US problem but a worldwide concern. The congress will be breaking for the fourth of July and the world is still waiting for the Congress' prompt response regarding the Zika tests funding issues. Will Zika be destroyed once and for all? Ask the Republicans and the Democrats.
