I heard back from the International Criminal Court. Here is the email: Dear Sir/Madam, Thank you for your message. Please note that the International Criminal Court has a very limited jurisdiction. The Court may only address the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes as defined by Articles 6 to 8 of the Rome Statute that have occurred after 2002, and can only exercise jurisdiction in the countries that have ratified it. For more information on the Court’s jurisdiction and the full text of the Rome Statute, please refer to page 2 of the attached document and our website as well as our address, www.icc-cpi.int. We encourage you to carefully review this information. If, after your careful review, you still believe the ICC is the correct place for your case and would like to submit a claim to the Court, then please follow the directions for how to do so on page 1 of the attached document. If you decide to submit information, kindly use only this email address : otp.informationdesk@icc-cpi.int. Kind regards, OTP Information Desk International Criminal Court I was stunned to learn that the United States is among the countries that have not ratified the Rome Statute. In fact, three signatory states (Israel, Sudan, and the United States of America) have informed the UN Secretary General that they no longer intend to become parties to the Rome Statute, and as such have no legal obligations arising from their signature. The good news is that Latin America, Canada, and other regions of the world HAVE ratified. They are shown in green on this map: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_parties_to_the_Rome_Statute_of_the_International_Criminal_Court#/media/File:ICC_member_states.svg So, we may have some legal recourse. Now that the Olympics are well under way, I suppose it's too late to prevent this wave of Zika outbreaks. But I intend to keep this petition up since it will probably be nine months post-Olympics that we will learn of new outbreaks (around May 2017 and onward). Hopefully, the impact to less prepared countries will be minimal. But we'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, here are some troubling facts: A team of 14 researchers pro­jected that as of June 15th, 2016, there were close to 30,000 cases of travel-​​related Zika in the U.S. – a number 25 times greater than that reported by the CDC on the same date. Source: http://www.northeastern.edu/news/2016/08/tracking-zika-researchers-project-epidemics-growth-and-spread If the models do indeed reflect reality it means the CDC’s estimations only account for about 6 percent of U.S. Zika cases. Source: http://www.bostonmagazine.com/health/blog/2016/08/05/us-zika-cases What's more, Zika has been found in semen for longer than 6 months. Two reports published in the journal Eurosurveillance confirm one man's semen tested positive for the Zika virus 188 days post-infection and a second man's semen tested positive 181 days after infection. Source: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=22554 And I've been disturbed by the use of Naled being sprayed in Florida. This was fiercely objected to in Puerto Rico. Washington Examiner's Robert King wrote: "The Puerto Rican city of San Juan is suing the federal government ... a San Juan city official objected to the use of the pesticide [Naled], but the CDC responded it would carry out the spraying 'with or without the consent and cooperation of local authorities,' the lawsuit noted." Source: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/puerto-rican-city-sues-to-stop-zika-spraying/article/2597634 The No Spray Coalition put out an excellent NALED Insecticide Fact Sheet: http://nospray.org/naled-insecticide-fact-sheet Key points: 1) In lab animals, exposure to Naled for just three days during pregnancy reduced brain size by 15 percent. 2) Inhalation of Naled was 20 times more toxic to rats than oral dosing. 3) CDC stated chemicals used to kill adult mosquitoes by ground or aerial applications are usually the least efficient mosquito control technique. 4) New York's Department of Health reported that 11 years of Naled spraying was successful in achieving short-term reductions in mosquito abundance, but populations of the disease-carrying mosquito of concern increased 15-fold over the 11 years of spraying. Mosquitoes are definitely biting people at the Olympics. Here are actual quotes: August 8th, 2016: A post by Ken Fang states: "... mosquitoes are still flying around even though this is the winter season in the southern hemisphere." "Now have I seen the Zika mosquitoes? Yes I have. Not many, probably two or three, but I'm aware of it ... Pierre McGuire ... he noticed them right above my head ..." Source: http://awfulannouncing.com/2016/pierre-mcguire-apparently-saved-dan-patrick-from-zika-mosquitoes.html August 8th, 2016: "But the mosquitoes returned, and those same several thousand Olympic visitors are worried. Trust me on that one. After a week of no mosquitoes, I saw a buzzing flash in my hotel room. I had expected to see large and sinister super mosquitoes in Brazil, but this mosquito was surprisingly tiny ... Three more tiny mosquitoes soon were buzzing around the room." Source: http://gazette.com/ramsey-blog-bad-news-iverson-quick-mosquitoes-invade-rio-games/article/1582224 August 9th, 2016: "On Saturday, the influx of mosquitoes was extraordinary ... athletes were swatting mosquitoes away from their faces as they stood atop the podium." "... it transpired again on Monday as the mosquitoes came from nowhere just as the afternoon session was getting close to completion." "When it gets dark they start to come. If you get bitten it is annoying, " said Ane Marcelle Gomes dos Santos, a Brazilian archer, to USA Today Sports. Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/rio-2016/2016/08/08/olympic-venue-where-mosquitoes-live-but-theres-little-buzz-zika/88430868 The Vaccine Reality . . . According to Dr. Peter Hotez: "The biomedical literature is filled with dozens, if not hundreds, of DNA vaccine candidates that worked in mice, but none have produced protective immunity in humans." "In the case of Zika, you want to see high levels of neutralizing antibody, and to my knowledge, we have just not seen that in DNA vaccines ... you never say never, but so far the advancement of DNA vaccines is disappointing." Source: https://bionews-tx.com/news/2016/07/19/interview-with-dr-peter-hotez-on-likelihood-of-timely-zika-vaccine On June 20th, 2016, a post in The Guardian by Jessica Glenza included these comments by Dr. Peter Hotez: "What is not really being said is that once phase one trials are completed, it is likely that progress towards licensure will slow significantly." "The FDA or other regulatory bodies will need to see trials to ensure the vaccine does not induce Guillain-Barré syndrome, as does the Zika virus itself." "Since the vaccine would likely be needed for pregnant women (or women who are about to become pregnant), the FDA will want to see extensive safety data in these populations." "The average time to take a vaccine from the lab to somebody's arm is about 10 to 15 years." ~ Karen Kotloff, pediatrics prof, head of infectious disease at Maryland University's School of Medicine, and member of the FDA's vaccine and related biological products advisory committee Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/20/human-testing-experimental-zika-vaccine-virus Just this morning I read a Business Insider post by Lydia Ramsey called "5 of the biggest myths and misconceptions about Zika, debunked" and I tried numerous times to leave a comment, but I was unable to. Here is what I wrote: I'd like to address four of these "myths" (which may not be myths after all) that warrant further investigation, imo: ?MYTH: GMOs are to blame for the recent Zika outbreak across the Americas Dr. Ricarda Steinbrecher published concerns September 2010 that a known survival rate in genetically-modified mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti OX513A (NRE(S)609-2/1/3), warranted further study before their release. Source: http://www.econexus.info/publication/release-gm-mosquito-aedes-aegypti-ox513a Notable points: The 3 - 4 percent survival rate might lead to offspring that can overcome and flourish despite future efforts. Another problem is the accidental release of females. [1 per 1,000 are the predicted number. Yet when millions of mosquitoes are released, this number becomes significant]. If the transfer is envisaged to be to a completely unrelated species, it might not result in a lethal trait at all, as this will depend on the receiving organism as well as possibly on the position of insertion into the genome. The fact that RIDL is to a large extent lethal in OX513A mosquitoes should not be relied upon as a hindrance for horizontal gene transfer. Furthermore there has been no mention or discussion of the red fluorescence marker gene or assessment of its potential adverse effects on the environment or to human health. ?MYTH: Zika can spread by kissing. The virus has been detected in urine and saliva. “It’s a disease transmitted through sex, but certainly at this point we wouldn’t carry it to say it’s a sexually transmitted disease,” Dr. Robert Segal told Business Insider. August 1st, 2016: Zika was finally declared an STD. William Smith, Executive Director of the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) in Washington, stated: "We have been a little bit frustrated by the lack of focus on Zika as an STD when there has been credible evidence that sexual transmission could be as important a focus for us in preventing Zika as mosquito-borne transmission." ?MYTH: Pesticides are responsible for Zika Pyriproxyfen may not be a contributing factor, but Naled (what was sprayed in Florida) could be. In lab animals, exposure to Naled for just 3 days during pregnancy reduced brain size by 15 percent. And, Naled has been shown to be 20 times more toxic to rats when inhaled than via eating or drinking contaminated food or water. ?MYTH: The birth defects associated with Zika are caused by vaccines As for vaccines, the most worrisome one might be the dengue vaccine. It probably causes ADE (antibody-dependent enhancement) noted Dr. Halstead. Source: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2016/07/contrary-dengue-vaccine-response-hints-possible-problems-zika Vincent Racaniello, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University in New York, added: "Given the recent observation that antibodies to dengue virus enhance Zika virus infection, one must also wonder if immunization with CYD [Dengvaxia] can lead to worse Zika virus disease. It's clear that CYD is not the dengue vaccine that the world needs." Source: http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/04/25/050112 Lastly, I want to thank each and every one of you for signing and sharing this petition. And I will continue to post pertinent information on my devoted Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/StopZikaFirst An excellent resource is ACOG (American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) webpage: http://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/News-Room/Practice-Advisories/Practice-Advisory-Interim-Guidance-for-Care-of-Obstetric-Patients-During-a-Zika-Virus-Outbreak I am continually updating my blog with information as it becomes available too: http://roserightswrongs.blogspot.ca/2016/07/an-open-letter-to-athletes-and-sponsors.html My public service announcements: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1gRa2mme6k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoOwL6Fhjak Authors note: I cannot use italics or hyperlink. Ergo, links are not hidden. How your signature helps: each time a supporter signs a petition, an email is automatically sent directly to those being petitioned (governments, companies and individuals). When hundreds or even thousands of emails arrive in their inboxes, the message is impossible to ignore. Take good care, Rose Webster Canadian freelance writer and activist Formerly employed in healthcare 20 years