The unfolding story of Zika virus in the Americas is much more than a mosquito-borne disease that may affect fetal development. It is the story of a disease that exposed problems and raised challenges that the affected health systems and governments cannot ignore. Next, based largely on lessons provided by Brazil’s Zika epidemic, we discuss five critical problems and challenges and reflect on opportunities to remedy them.
Dar es Salaam has an extensive drain network, mostly with inadequate water flow, blocked by waste, causing flooding after rainfall. The presence of Anopheles and Culex larvae is common, which is likely to impact the transmission of lymphatic filariasis and malaria by the resulting adult mosquito populations. However, the importance of drains as larval habitats remains unknown.
