North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services representative Mike Doyle presented his research findings about the Zika virus at Tectonic Plates: Alamance County's Science Cafe 7 p.m. this evening at The Fat Frogg. Doyle, the former executive director of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, spent the past 12 years researching new methods of containing threats posed by Zika, including new forms of genetic modification and pesticide.
His speech addressed the history of Zika in the United States, the statistical risks that the virus poses on the public, the different breeds of common mosquitoes and the impact each can have on spreading the virus. He also discussed programs he's implemented to prevent its spread and how he plans to attack the virus in the coming years. A key point he mentioned was mosquitoes annually cause almost twice as many mortalities internationally than humans do.
Dave Gammon, associate professor of biology at Elon University and organizer for the monthly Science Cafe presentations, said the reason he chose to discuss Zika was to, "expand on the basic knowledge of the public to give them a greater awareness of the issues that the Zika virus poses for the world."