UCLA Library

Controversy and uncertainty result in diverse reactions by medical authorities to epidemics. This analysis provides an in-depth account of the development, expansion, symptomatology, and aspiring eradication of Zika virus, in addition to its role in causing other illnesses.  The paper presents a comparison of the manner in which the global health community has responded to Zika virus to the way they handled and are currently approaching acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and Lyme disease, hypothesizing why these disparities occurred and, in many cases, why they persist.  Finally, this report explores similarities between contemporary Brazil and previous societies that collapsed over the course of history, offering insights into the role of disease as a dire threat to a nation. The CDC, WHO, and government agencies can gain from Zika virus in adopting a more genuine and impartial approach to present and future maladies.