By Mike Stobbe
AP Medical Writer
(AP) — A rare tropical disease
is spreading in parts of Latin
America and the Caribbean. The
mosquito-borne Zika virus usual-
ly causes a mild illness but is now
suspected in an unusual birth
defect and possibly other health
issues. Some things to know:
What Is Zika?
The Zika (ZEE’-ka) virus was
first discovered in monkey in
Uganda in 1947; its name comes
from the Zika forest where it was
first discovered. It is native main-
ly to tropical Africa, with out-
breaks in Southeast Asia and the
Pacific Islands. It showed up in
Brazil last year and has since been
seen in many Latin American
countries and Caribbean islands.
How Is It Spread?
It is transmitted through bites
from the same kind of mosqui-
toes that can spread other tropi-
cal diseases, like dengue fever,
chikungunya and yellow fever. It
is not known to spread from per-
son to person. Investigators,
though, are exploring the possi-
bility that the virus can be
passed on through sex — it was
found in one man’s semen in
Tahiti and there’s been another
report of possible spread of the
virus through sex.
The World Health Organization
says Zika is rapidly spreading in
the Americas because it is new to
the region, people aren’t immune
to it, and the Aedes aegypti mos-
quito that carries it is just about
everywhere — including along
the southern United States.
Canada and Chile are the only
places without this mosquito.
Are There Symptoms?
Experts think most people
infected with Zika virus don’t
get sick. And those that do usu-
ally develop mild symptoms —
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February 8 - February 14, 2016
THE LOUISIANA WEEKLY -
YOUR MULTICULTURAL MEDIUM
What you need to know about the zika virus, especially if you’re pregnant
Why men struggle to
lose weight
fever, rash, joint pain, and red
eyes — which usually last no
more than a week. There is no
specific medicine and there has-
n’t been a vaccine developed for
it, which is the case for some
other tropical illnesses that cause
periodic outbreaks.
Why Is It A Concern Now?
In Brazil, there’s been mounting
evidence linking Zika infection in
pregnant women to a rare birth
defect called microcephaly, in
which a newborn’s head is small-
er than normal and the brain may
not have developed properly.
Brazilian health officials last
October noticed a spike in cases
of microcephaly in tandem with
the Zika outbreak. The connection
to Zika is still being investigated,
and officials note there are many
causes of the condition. Nearly
4,000 cases have been tallied.
Meanwhile, doctors have noted
increased reports of a nerve con-
dition called Guillain-Barre that
can cause paralysis. But the link
to the Zika virus is not clear;
other infections can spark the
problem, including dengue fever.
Can The Spread Be Stopped?
Individuals can protect them-
selves from mosquito bites by
using insect repellents, and
wearing long sleeves and long
pants — especially during day-
light, when the mosquitoes tend
to be most active, health officials
say. Eliminating breeding spots
and controlling mosquito popu-
lations can help prevent the
spread of the virus.
Have There Been Cases In The
U.S.?
Yes, but in travelers. There’ve
been more than two dozen cases
diagnosed in the U.S. since 2007,
all travelers who are believed to
have caught it overseas. (Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
have each had a recent case that
didn’t involve a traveler.)
The kind of mosquito that
spreads Zika is found along the
southern United States, so
experts think it’s likely the pests
may end up spreading the virus
there. But officials also have said
Zika infections probably won’t
be a big problem in the U.S. for a
number of reasons, including the
more common use of air condi-
tioning and door and window
screens. Recent U.S. outbreaks of
dengue and chikungunya — car-
ried by the same mosquito —
suggest any Zika outbreaks may
be relatively small, said Dr. Lyle
Petersen of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
Are There Any Travel
Advisories?
U.S. health officials recom-
mend that pregnant women
should consider postponing trips
to 22 destinations. Latin
America:
Bolivia,
Brazil,
Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador,
French Guiana, Guatemala,
Guyana, Honduras, Mexico,
Panama, Paraguay, Suriname and
Venezuela. In the Caribbean:
Barbados, Guadeloupe, Haiti,
Martinique, St. Martin and
Puerto Rico. Also, Cape Verde,
off the coast of western Africa;
and Samoa in the South Pacific.
In Brazil, most of the mothers
who had babies with micro-
cephaly were apparently infected
during the first trimester, but
there is some evidence the birth
defect can occur later in the preg-
nancy, CDC officials say. The
travel alert applies to women in
any stage of pregnancy.◊
By Glenn Ellis
Contributing Writer
(George Curry Media
Columnist)
– If you struggle with
weight loss, as most of us do,
you’ve figured out just how hard it
is to lose weight. The question is,
why is it so hard and is there any-
thing you can do about it?
Here are some possible reasons:
1.
You could actually be
starving.
Slashing too many calories,
particularly protein calories,
pushes the body to conserve calo-
ries rather than burn them. It also
forces your body to break down
muscle tissue to fuel its vital
operations. But that muscle is the
key to your metabolism, or the
speed at which you burn calories.
More muscle means a faster
metabolism and less body fat.
Solution
: You do need to cut
calories to lose weight. (Cut 500
today by eliminating one can of
beer, 30 chips, and one Oreo
from your diet.) But you need to
make sure you’re eating at least
1,600 to 1,800 calories each day
to keep your metabolism from
shutting down. And never cut
protein during a diet. If you’re a
sedentary 200-pounder, you need
about 75 grams of protein (about
two chicken breasts) a day for
muscle preservation. If you’re
lifting weights, aim for twice that
much. Doing aerobics? Pick a
number in between.
2.
You’re “Inhaling” Food
You probably eat so fast that
your stomach hardly has time to
alert your brain to tell your
mouth to quit chewing before
your stomach explodes.
Solution
: On every bite, chew,
swallow, put down your fork, and
take a sip of water. See how long
it takes you to eat.
3.
Your Food is too Refined
Most processed breads and cere-
als contain little fiber, the calorie-
free component of plant foods that
fills you up, not out. Plus, foods
rich in fiber help control blood glu-
cose and insulin levels.
Solution
: I never thought I’d
say this, but it may be a good idea
to cut back on potatoes in any
form (especially the fries, fellas).
Experts say potatoes raise blood-
glucose concentration quickly, as
do snack chips, white bread, low-
fiber breakfast cereals, and
breakfast bars. Whole-grain cere-
als, nuts, and beans are blame-
free, if not calorie-free.
4.
You are tired
Sleep deprivation decreases
the odds of shedding blubber and
keeping it off.
Solution
: Hit the sack for eight
hours each and every night. And
try to hit it for the same eight
hours.
5.
You think fitness “out-
weighs” fatness
Exercise alone won’t make you
thin. A recent study of military per-
sonnel who increased their exer-
cise during a three-year period
found that they gained weight
despite their extra efforts. Why?
Food, most likely. They simply ate
more than they burned off.
Solution
: Controlling portion
size is absolutely essential to
weight loss. And the best way to
control portion size is to limit
how often you eat out. According
to the Tufts University Health &
Nutrition Letter, a single restau-
rant meal often could feed an
entire family.
6.
You lack basic food-
preparations skills
A man whose only kitchen skill
involves the speed dial to
Domino’s is condemned to a diet
of grease, salt, white bread, and
sugar.
Solution
: Step into the kitchen
(That’s the room with the oven,
sink, and refrigerator). Open your
freezer. You should see frozen
berries and vegetables, which are
as good as fresh but last many
times longer. Look in your cup-
boards. You should see some
canned vegetables, hearty low-fat
soups, dried fruit, and slow-cook-
ing oats. These foods help you lose
weight because they’re filling but
low in calories.
7.
You’re dry
When you’re trying to lose
weight, water is your workout part-
ner. You need it to flush the waste
products your body makes when it
breaks down fat for energy, or
when it processes protein.
8.
Macho Macho Man
I’ve seen it many times: Guy
drops 10 or 20 pounds and starts
thinking he’s Mr. Weight Loss.
Next thing you know, he’s back
to beer and pizza — and his orig-
inal weight.
Solution
: With each 10 pounds
you drop, sit down and reassess
your diet and exercise program. If
you calculated your food intake
and exercise volume when you
started, run a new set of numbers,
based on your new weight and
activity level.
The information included in this
column is for educational purpos-
es only. Glenn Ellis, is a regular
media contributor on Health
Equity and Medical Ethics. He is
the author of Which Doctor?, and
Information is the Best Medicine.
Listen to him every Saturday at 9
a.m.
(EST)
on
and
Sundays at 8:30 a.m. (EST) on
For more good
health information, visit: glennel-
lis.com.
◊
