The Global Virus Network (GVN), a coalition of the world’s leading medical virologists working together to prevent illness and death from viral disease, will host a webinar for business leaders on Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 1pm EST to discuss the ongoing outbreak of Chikungunya in the Americas and its implications for the private sector.
GVN Chikungunya Task Force Co-Chairs Dr. Scott Weaver of the Institute of Human Infections and Immunity at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and Dr. Marc Lecuit of the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France, will update participants on the status of epidemic in the Americas; discuss the likely spread of the virus; describe the latest research on vaccines and therapeutics; and answer questions about the outbreak’s potential impact on businesses, travel, and commerce.
The webinar is open to the public and is a part of an ongoing series of discussions on key viral threats to the private sector presented under the auspices of GVN’s Business Leadership Council.
Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne virus that causes high fever and severe, often chronic joint pain. In late 2013, it emerged in the Americas for the first time and has since spread rapidly throughout the region, infecting more than one million in the Caribbean and North, South, and Central America.
Although rarely fatal, Chikungunya is very debilitating and has caused significant workplace disruptions in a number of the countries hardest hit by the outbreak, with large percentages of the labor force missing work due to symptoms related to the virus.
During the Tuesday, January 27, 2015 webinar, the experts will provide updated information on the spread of the Chikungunya outbreak throughout the Americas and address key questions for business leaders such as:
- What are the international, regional, and local public health responses to the epidemic and what impact are these efforts having on the spread of the virus?
- What are the chances that business travelers to the affected regions will become infected?
- What can individuals and companies do to protect themselves from infection?
- Should your company issue travel restrictions?
- How might the outbreak affect your company’s operations and business interests?
- What does the current situation mean for employees returning to the United States from the Caribbean and Central and South America?
Registration for the webinar is available here.