In the recent news reports, there has been quite a number of Zika cases in Florida of the United States. There’s a lot of information but the truth is that there’s no vaccine or medicine for Zika according to the Center for Disease Control. The only treatment is for symptoms (these are stated below).
We touched on facts about mosquitoes in Beijing in an article that can be found here.
The likelihood of getting the virus in China are slim as an infected Aedes species mosquito (Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus) is mainly found in the tropical regions of the world. This is the same mosquito that transmits dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever according to the World Health Organization.
In very rare cases have people died from getting infected by the Zika virus. Once infected there’s a high possibility of protection from future infections. Here’s what you need to know about the virus:
History of Zika
The virus was first discovered in 1947 in Uganda in monkeys then in 1952 it was discovered in humans in the East Africa countries of Uganda and Tanzania. Since then outbreaks have taken place in different continents such as the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific.
Transmission
Zika can be transmitted through mosquito bites, in utero, and sex. The major concern is for pregnant women as in utero transmission might lead to birth defects. Pregnant women are asked not to visit high risk areas and to keep watch. It’s proven that the virus is a cause of microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome.
“In July 2015 Brazil reported an association between Zika virus infection and Guillain-Barré syndrome. In October 2015 Brazil reported an association between Zika virus infection and microcephaly,” according to the WHO.
Symptoms
The symptoms usually last 2-7days for those who show signs. A majority of the people infected with the Zika virus won’t have symptoms but those that do will show mild symptoms and the common ones are:
Fever
Rash
Joint pain
Red eyes (Conjunctivitis)
And in some cases they will present the following:
Muscle pain
Headache
Prevention measures
The mosquito responsible of transmitting zika likes to bite during the day therefore make sure that your family uses repellent. If one of your family members has recently travelled to a hotspot then it would be good to make sure they are tested.
People traveling to some parts of Brazil and US should be careful to check out news report and consult a doctor.
Photo: i.huffpost.com
