Single copies free The student newspaper at USF St. Petersburg
Feb 15- Feb 21, 2016 | Volume 50 | Issue 21
USFSP hosts a Student conference on starts world affairs charity
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Zika virus spreads in Florida By Jeffrey Zanker Staff Reporter
An international crisis has entered Florida starting with a small bite. The virus known as “Zika” has spread in eight counties in the last two weeks, with 20 cases reported since Friday. On Feb. 3, Fla. Gov. Rick Scott declared a public health emergenc y in t he f irst four counties affected: Miami-Dade, Hillsborough, Lee and Santa Rosa. Miami-Dade has the highest number so far, with seven cases reported. The virus is transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti after Health officials may have detected a link between the Zika virus biting a person. After the mosquiand microcephaly, a condition that causes brain damage, and other toes draw blood from an individual developmental issues in infants. Another neurological disease possibly associated with the virus is Guillain-Barre syndrome – a rare disorder that attacks the nervous system, leaving people paralyzed.
with Zika virus, it carries the virus to the next person it bites. Though further research is being conducted, spread of the virus through sexual contact and blood transfusion have been reported in isolated cases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in five people infected become ill and exhibit symptoms including rash, fever, joint pain and red eyes. But researchers found the virus non-life threatening, with symptoms usually lasting about a week. All cases in Florida were reported as travel-related – the first appearing in Miami-Dade in January from two residents who traveled to Colombia the month before. One Hillsborough resident contracted the virus during a trip in Venezuela.
In a Feb. 4 press release, Scott requested the CDC provide at least 1,000 Zika antibody tests for individuals, especially pregnant women and new mothers, who have traveled to affected areas and have displayed symptoms of the Zika virus. The test allows the state to see if individuals ever had the virus – Florida currently only has the capacity to test 475 people. The governor also asked the CDC to organize a conference call to assist in training hospital workers, particularly OBGYN doctors, on how the virus is spread, its symptoms, treatments, and so on. “With over 20 million residents and 100 million tourists, we must stay ahead of the possible spread of the Zika virus and take immediate action to ensure Florida is prepared,” he said. So far in the U.S., 59 cases have
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In St. Pete, the water is just fine The city’s drinking water routinely tests within safety limit By Moriah Parish Staff Reporter Dr. Johnny Wong has been a citizen of several municipalities, both nationally and internationally. He now serves as an educator in the USF St. Petersburg Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Geography. “St. Petersburg has a real culture of environmental awareness,
and USFSP is a microcosm of that,” said Wong. “If people truly investigated the treatment and accommodations (for water), they would be impressed. The governments in the (Tampa Bay) area have done a good job creating a culture of safety.” No city is immune to the fate of a lead-polluted water supply that has recently made headlines in Flint, MI. With only two main water
sources — a contamination in one and budget cuts affecting the other — catastrophic conditions have taken cover. But in St. Petersburg, there are a number of alternative sources. Surface water streams down through the Alaf ia and Hillsborough Rivers, as well as the Tampa Bypass Canal. Groundwater is pumped through 11 well fields
t hat d raw f rom t he Flor ida n Aquifer. If a severe drought or contamination occured, St. Petersburg Water Resources has two desalination plants that can turn seawater into potable freshwater. Though achieved at a high energy expense, the process is only implemented during emergencies. “These desalination plants are so state of the art, Saudi Arabia has
sent people to see the way we operate,” Wong said. Ac cord i ng to t he c it y, St . P e t e r s b u r g ’s w a t e r i s a l s o well-treated. Chloramines, an important type of disinfectant, are added to the water at a level of 4 milligrams per liter. This is the Ma ximum Contaminant Level, the legal limit on the amount of a substance that
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