It’s only a matter of time before we start seeing the Zika virus in the United States, says Dr. John Swartzberg, an infectious disease specialist at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health.
Swartzberg is chair of the editorial board of BerkeleyWellness.com and has directed coverage at the Berkeley Wellness Letter since 2001.
The mosquito-borne Zika virus is spreading quickly across Central and South America, prompting warnings to pregnant women because the virus has been associated with abnormally small heads in newborns. The World Health Organization estimates that 3 to 4 million people in the Americas will be exposed to the virus in the next 12 months.
As health officials grapple with the problem and work is under way for a vaccine, Dr. Swartzberg answers seven common questions about the virus and its spread on BerkeleyWellness.com.
Swartzberg is a clinical professor emeritus at the School of Public Health and also at that UCSF School of Medicine. He is an outspoken advocate on public health issues.