The Zika virus has become a major public health threat in just a few short months, and that’s highlighted just how poorly researched the virus is. Scientists are working frantically to figure out just how Zika works, especially the discovery that it’s sexually transmitted. And the CDC is willing to pay Zika-infected men if they’ll contribute some semen to the cause.
The basic problem is that we know Zika lingers in the system well after the disease’s symptoms pass, but we don’t know how long it sticks around. To figure that out, the CDC is offering a $50 “multi-use” gift card for Zika-infected men willing to do their part into a cup. It’s a pretty sweet deal, believe it or not; you don’t even have to go anywhere, just give a courier who shows up at your door the sample in question and rest secure in the knowledge that you’ve contributed to a worthwhile scientific cause. We just hope that courier is paid well (and not in “multi-use” gift cards).
All guffawing aside, this is a genuinely important thing for Zika infected men to do. The birth defects Zika causes can require a lifetime of care, and the more we know about the virus and its modes of transmission, the more effective treatments we can create and the more intelligent advice we can offer to people with Zika to prevent these defects and the struggles that come with them. The CDC is looking for 210 more men with Zika, so if you fit the bill, go forth and do your part for science.
(Via CNN)
