Economics of Disease Background Information Welcome to the discussion. In this course you will be introduced to a topic in the discussion. The first week of the module you will write about your initial thoughts after reviewing the resources. The initial post should be at least 600 words. During the following week you will reply to at least two of your classmates. The replies should be at least 300 words. See the discussion rubric for more details on grading. Discussions should always be completed prior to "class." If you are in an online class or an on ground course this is prior to the lesson portion of the week. Are you ready to begin?

1. Watch and Read: Zika Virus: The Last Thing Brazil's Economy Needs Right Now https://money.cnn.com/2016/01/28/news/economy/zika-virus-brazil-economy/index.html 2. Initial Post The outbreak and spread of Zika virus has had effects beyond the health issues. Discuss how Zika has or can have an impact on the economic conditions of the areas affected.* 3. Reply Posts Choose 1 student that you agree or disagree with. Reply to 1 student. Discussion that you need to reply on: How Zika has or can have an impact on the economic conditions of the areas affected? The epidemics or contagious diseases that are alerted at the international level always have negative impacts in their countries of origin at a social, economic or political level, as is the case of the Zika virus that affected several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. According to (World Health Organization [WHO], 2016) more than 30 countries in the region reported cases of Zika, and the institution reported that some 4 million people were affected. As it was observed, the most vulnerable to transmission through the mosquito were pregnant women, whose pregnant children ran the risk of contracting microcephaly. In addition to the impact on health, Zika had an economic cost for the countries of this region. In those countries that were highly dependent on tourism, the economic impact was mainly reflected in the Caribbean, which suffered losses of more than 1% of GDP. to this countries had to request additional support from the international community to curb the economic impact caused by the virus. An example is Brazil with its traditional carnival in Rio de Janeiro, which receives millions of tourists and due to the virus registered a low attendance of foreign tourists. On the other hand, a report showed that flight reservations in Latin America fell after warnings were given to American travelers about the Zika virus. Flights to the regions of Latin America affected by the mosquito-transmitted virus fell by 3.4% compared to the previous year, after the travel warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When the World Health Organization called the Zika outbreak an international emergency on February 1, it accelerated the decline, and reservations fell 10% between the dates mentioned. According to ForwardKeys (2016) study reported that there were 3% fewer reservations to Brazil between January 15 and February 10 compared to the number of reservations in the previous year. Resorts with outbreaks of Zika, such as Martinique and the US Virgin Islands, suffered significant declines in their economies. This high economic cost is associated with the decrease in income that will mainly be due to the effort to avoid the infection of pregnant women and those who expect to be pregnant and who plan to travel to the region with their families. On the other hand, the high absences in the work of those who were infected with the disease, there were around 4 million cases in 2016, of which a fifth was in the labor market. On the one hand, it affected the companies due to the absence of the workers, but on the other hand, the workers for not receiving income since not everyone had social security. For example, in Honduras most employers have small companies that are companies with 10 workers or less, these had a greater impact because they are not places where staff could rotate easily. Finally, it can be observed that Zika hindered the fight against poverty and the advance towards economic development in these Latin American and Caribbean countries. Zika especially affected the smaller economies of the region, but will also have a long-term impact, the cost of microcephaly and Guillain Barre syndrome. The Zika virus is a reminder of the vulnerability of countries and people to emerging infectious diseases. Furthermore, the fact that it affects especially the most disadvantaged populations entails a series of social and economic implications for the different communities, regions and nations. Likewise, the Zika provides the valuable lesson that in order to prepare and respond to the challenges of infectious diseases effectively, it is necessary to take into account both the health and development objectives. References: World Health Organization. (2016). Zika virus and potential complications. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/emergencies/zika-virus/situation-report/14-april-2016/en/ ForwardKeys. (2016). Flight books slow due to Zika concerns. Retrieved from https://www.aviationpros.com/company/12172127/forwardkeys Global Barcelona Institute for Global Health (2016). Socio-Economic Impact of Zika Virus in Latin America and the Caribbean. Retrieved from https://www.isglobal.org/en/-/impacto-socioeconomico-del-virus-del-zika-en-latinoamerica-y-el-caribe *Posts supported by academic literature will enhance the discussions. Use APA style