FIU will present “Zika Watch: What South Florida Needs to Know” Wednesday, Feb. 3, in room 243 of the Graham Center. The event is free and open to the public. To RSVP, please click here.
The teach-in will feature several FIU experts across the sciences, medicine, public health and hospitality. Tomás Guilarte, dean of the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, will moderate. Panelists will discuss the biology of mosquitoes, transmission of Zika, trends in mosquito-borne illness, medical implications, travel concerns and more. Panelists are:
- Consuelo Beck-Sague, assistant professor, Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work
- Matthew DeGennaro, assistant professor of biological sciences, College of Arts, Sciences & Education and Biomolecular Sciences Institute
- Francisco Fernandez-Lima, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, College of Arts, Sciences & Education and Biomolecular Sciences Institute
- Carolin Lusby, assistant professor, Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management
- Aileen M. Marty, professor, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
The World Health Organization recently declared a disease linked to the Zika virus a public health emergency in Latin America. The infection has been linked to cases of microcephaly, in which babies are born with underdeveloped brains. In the past year, reported cases of microcephaly have been on the rise in Brazil and other Latin American countries, and the Zika virus is suspected to be the cause. With the 2016 Summer Olympics approaching in Rio de Janeiro, international attention is shifting to Brazil. Internationally, experts are worried the virus is spreading far and fast. For those unable to attend Wednesday’s teach-in, the event will be recorded and made available later in the week on FIU’s YouTube channel.