Zika Virus and Migrants: What Do Clinicians Need to Know?

Today, as almost every day in the last few months, the Zika virus is dominating the news. The World Health Organization has warned that the virus may spread to Europe this summer. Meanwhile, the US senate continues to push a bill to finance $1.1 billion in public health spending to fight Zika here in the states. The news is also filled with personal stories, of pregnant women in the midst of perilous migrations out of Central America, less concerned with the risks of Zika than of the dangers of remaining in their homelands. As with other health needs, these migrants are an underserved population that, even if they reach the US, may not be able to access health care or health education on Zika that most others can.  

Consequently, as we note in our new Zika Virus page, “when it comes to the Zika virus, migrants may warrant greater attention from clinicians in the exam room.”

Visit our new Zika page to learn the basics of this disease and the migrant clinician’s role in serving the health needs of migrants who may be at greater risk of exposure to Zika.  

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