Current Science

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The Zika virus outbreak in 2015 posed a serious public health threat because of its association with congenital abnormalities. Research on the environmental factors underlying this outbreak epidemiology may provide useful insights into its occurrence. This study suggests that the localized lowering of the earth’s magnetic field intensity and a sudden increase of cosmic rays recorded in Mexico in 2015 were causally associated with the resurgence of the Zika virus outbreak in the Americas. Potential mechanisms by which a weakened magnetic field and enhanced cosmic ray activity may influence this outbreak in humans are discussed here. Current and future surveillance efforts should be supported to construct a comprehensive early warning system involving monitoring of the earth’s magnetic field, solar activity and cosmic ray intensity for predicting or detecting future Zika virus outbreaks as early as possible.
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