Biosecurity

The human causes of viral outbreaks like Zika

Only two years have passed since chikungunya, a debilitating mosquito-borne virus, appeared in the Americas. Now, a new scourge is causing havoc: the Zika virus. Historically, Zika virus outbreaks tend to follow chikungunya outbreaks, though we don’t know why. In fact, there is still much we don’t know about the virus. What we do know, though, is that human behavior and activities such as environmental destruction lead to the emergence and spread of mosquito-borne viruses. That means that with long-term political will and commitment, it might be possible to prevent the next such outbreak.