Zika 2016: A Test Case

The outbreak of Zika virus in the Western Hemisphere at the beginning of 2016 has the world on edge. The virus, while not nearly as frightening as a new, far more virulent, strain of hemorrhagic fever such as Ebola, is still a major public health concern. The complications of the virus can cripple and, in rare cases, kill adults. The risks of what can happen to children born to mothers who are infected with Zika during pregnancy have dominated the media since January of 2016 and are well known. Worse still, microcephaly may not be the worst that Zika can do to unborn children. The Zika virus outbreak is the first international outbreak of a serious disease since Ebola. The virus will test the effectiveness of improvements made by governments following the Ebola outbreak. This case is important to Texas for a few reasons. First, Texas has made some significant changes to its public health laws following the 2014–2015 Ebola outbreak. Second, most highly populated areas in Texas are known habitats of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is the primary transmission vector for the Zika virus. Third, Texas has a large amount of international travel. There are fourteen international airports, two of the busiest ports in the United States, and four border crossing points with Mexico. Fourth, Texas has cases of dengue fever, a mosquito borne disease carried by the Ae. aegypti mosquito that is caused by a virus that is related to the Zika virus. This means that Texas has a high likelihood of having Zika make it to its borders and spread naturally. This paper will discuss the existing public health law regarding the response to a serious disease outbreak. It will cover the international, federal, and state level responses, with a focus on the state level responses. The paper then will make recommendations on potential ways to improve the public health apparatus and any constitutional concerns that these improvements may raise.