People were demanding we spray their backyards. He knows of no one who became ill from the spraying, which eventually covered the whole island. Some people said the spraying was worse than West Nile virus, but there was also great concern from the citizenry about human infections. Ultimately, Petersen says, there may be a vaccine to prevent infection. My guess is it will be first used in animals.
Mysteries remain, including how the virus got to the USA in the first place.
It could have been an infected animal, an infected mosquito or it could have been an infected human that came in. In retrospect, it makes sense. Because so many questions are unanswered, he says, research and surveillance are crucial. But luck also played a role. The weather this year has been cool and rainy, not ideal conditions for outbreaks, Petersen says.