Aedes Aegypti mosquito. Photo: CDC/James Gathany
As summer approaches, anxiety about Zika is growing in the U.S. The question on everyone's mind is: Once Zika is here, how big will the outbreak be?
Kacey Ernst, PhD, MPH, an associate professor and infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, is co-author of a recent study in the journal PLOS Currents Outbreaks that looked at the highest risk areas for Zika emergence in the United States.
Dr. Ernst will be the guest speaker at the Partners in Public Health Luncheon on Wednesday, May 4, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Arizona Inn, 2200 E. Elm St., Tucson.
Dr. Ernst will highlight some of the background and new findings related to the Zika virus and will delve into the work that she and team members are doing at the University of Arizona to address Zika.
Dr. Ernst will highlight some of the background and new findings related to the Zika virus and delve into the work that she and team members are doing at the UA to address Zika. She will discuss the basics of Zika virus infection, current geographic spread and populations that have been impacted; in addition to research findings in Tucson related to the Aedes aegypti mosquito and implications for transmission. She also will describe a new mobile phone application under development, in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Diseases and Control and Prevention, which would allow community members to report in symptoms of the mosquito borne illnesses such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika.
Tickets to the Partners in Public Health luncheon are $55; $35 for members; and $25 for UA faculty, staff and students. To RSVP please contact Andy Lewis at andrealewis@email.arizona.edu or (520) 626-9072.
Event proceeds support the Girls’ Club, a bullying prevention program in Tucson local schools. Partners in Public Health (PIPH) is a group dedicated to supporting the mission of the UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health: eradicating health disparities and promoting healthy people and communities. PIPH partners also focus on supporting public health initiatives through advocacy, educational programming and outreach.
