Zika and the End Times

An infant suffering from microcephaly

If it seems that deadly viruses are becoming more frequent in the time we're living in, then that's not an illusion. For example, in 2014 the Ebola virus spread rapidly out of western Africa across the world and caused over 11,000 deaths before it was brought under control.

Before Ebola, there was SARS that spread throughout Asia; dengue and cholera that spread across Asia and parts of Africa, and the reemergence of polio in Africa.

This year, it's the Zika virus that's afflicting pregnant women and has the potential to ruin millions of lives. Unlike Ebola that was spread by contact with bodily fluids from infected persons, Zika is spread by mosquitoes, much like historic catastrophic diseases such as malaria, dengue, yellow fever and the West Nile Virus.

What type of damage is Zika suspected of causing? It may cause microcephaly that results in underdeveloped brains and shrunken heads of young infants. Though microcephaly isn't fatal, its damage is permanent and irreversible.

According to the World Health Organization, the disease is spreading rapidly in the Americas. And as of now, no vaccine is available to immunize women from the disease.

Margaret Chan, the WHO director general says that a causal relationship between Zika virus and birth malformations and neurological syndromes has not yet been established – this is an important point – but it is strongly suspected. The possible links have rapidly changed the risk profile of Zika from a mild threat to one of alarming proportions. The increased incidence of microcephaly is particularly alarming as it places a heartbreaking burden on families and communities.

Concerning a possible vaccine that could protect women from Zika, Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases says that we will not have a widely available safe and effective Zika vaccine this year and probably not in the next few years.

That's alarming. Because although people who spread infectious diseases through body fluids and breath can be isolated and quarantined from the public, mosquitoes are everywhere. And they specifically thrive in warm, moist climates that receive a lot of rain. They're also voluminous breeders that multiply rapidly and are difficult to contain.

Here's what I wrote in 2014 when the Ebola virus was raging:

How bad is Ebola expected to get? Could it become a global mass murderer? While health officials don't have a definitive answer, they do agree that unless the virus can be contained in Africa, it will likely spread across the world. World Bank President Jim Yong Kim states: "The crisis we are watching unfold derives less from the virus itself and more from a disastrously inadequate response to the outbreak. Many are dying needlessly. Historically, in the absence of effective care, common acute infections have been characterized by high mortality rates. What's happening with Ebola in Africa is no different." Ebola Outbreak 2014: How Bad Could It Get?

Are deadly plagues going to strike the world in the last days? Here's a prophecy that Jesus Christ revealed concerning the end times: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven." (Luke 21:10-11)

Pestilences are deadly diseases that afflict many people. Remember that Christ revealed they would strike in "various places." That means the deadly plagues won't afflict the entire world. However, they will strike in certain areas and they will be deadly.

We know that earthquakes and famines have been increasing since the beginning of the 20th century. And now we're seeing the increase of deadly pestilences. Indeed, Christ's prophecy is being fulfilled. And only a fool would deny we're living in the last days.