Sir: According to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), the zika virus was first found in Uganda in 1945. Up until now there have been more than 4,000 cases of births with microcephaly in Brazil since the outbreak, a condition that is now being associated with zika. Some 35 countries are on high alert and some of them have urged their women not to get pregnant for the next four years because of this epidemic. The people of this country must act now to prevent an onslaught of zika here, a virus that is spread by mosquitoes that also spread dengue. We must clean all places where water can stagnate and garbage dumps so that they do not serve as breeding grounds for the zika virus’ vector. We can only fight this danger with community awareness. ALI ASAD Via Email