Bit of a slow burner, but it looks like the Zika epidemic is starting to become an issue: Republican Lawmakers Slam Indiana Abortion Bill As 'Overreaching'; House Approves It Anyway,11/3/16.
It seems that the link between Zika and Microcephaly is growing stronger but it also appears that the Zika virus directly attacks the brain tissue of fetuses in the first trimester rather than just restricting the development of the skull and therefore the brain.
The rainy season due soon will exacerbate the spread of the virus. In the US, warmer temperatures will soon favour an increase in the mosquito population. The mosquito that is causing the spread of the virus in Latin America is restricted to the southern states of the US but researchers fear a more common mosquito in the US could spread the virus as well.
The chances are pretty good that a mother-to-be in the US is going to be refused an abortion despite the brain of the fetus being severely damaged by the Zika virus and this will blow up before the first Tuesday in November. At the very least, the ban on abortions now introduced by 2 states has raised the question of the constitutionality of such bans and made it a political issue anyway.
Quote:The bill, called HB 1337, would ban abortions sought because of fetal gender, race or abnormality. If signed into law, women wouldn't be able to seek an abortion because a fetus was diagnosed “with Down syndrome or any other disability.” (Presumably, this would include potential defects caused by Zika virus infection -- the first case of which was confirmed in Indiana just this week.)
It would also allow doctors who perform abortions under such circumstances to be sued for wrongful death.
It seems that the link between Zika and Microcephaly is growing stronger but it also appears that the Zika virus directly attacks the brain tissue of fetuses in the first trimester rather than just restricting the development of the skull and therefore the brain.
The rainy season due soon will exacerbate the spread of the virus. In the US, warmer temperatures will soon favour an increase in the mosquito population. The mosquito that is causing the spread of the virus in Latin America is restricted to the southern states of the US but researchers fear a more common mosquito in the US could spread the virus as well.
The chances are pretty good that a mother-to-be in the US is going to be refused an abortion despite the brain of the fetus being severely damaged by the Zika virus and this will blow up before the first Tuesday in November. At the very least, the ban on abortions now introduced by 2 states has raised the question of the constitutionality of such bans and made it a political issue anyway.