The center is staffed by experts from several Johns Hopkins Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health divisions, including epidemiology, infectious disease, maternal-fetal medicine, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pediatrics, physiotherapy, psychiatry and social work. Because the center concentrates Zika expertise in one place, Zika virus patients will not need to travel to multiple providers or locations for care, according to William May, associate professor of ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute.
The Eye Institute led the center’s development, and Johns Hopkins believes it is the world’s first multidisciplinary center dedicated to the mosquito-borne virus. Zika can cause birth defects like microcephaly as well as eye abnormalities in infants.
Outside physicians or Johns Hopkins clinicians can refer patients to the center, or patients can call the Wilmer Eye Institute to schedule an appointment.
In addition to patient care, the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Zika Center team will also conduct research on Zika.
“Our No. 1 priority will be focused on our patients, but our hope is that our care will also lead to many new developments in the effort to fight this potentially devastating disease,” said William May, MD, associate professor of ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute.
More articles on Zika:
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