Facts about the Zika VIrus

 

 

Facts about the Zika virus and the current outbreak

 

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday the Zika virus, linked to severe birth defects in thousands of babies in Brazil, is “spreading explosively” and may infect 3 to 4 million people in the Americas, including 1.5 million in Brazil.

 

 

Here are some facts about the virus and the current outbreak.

- The virus is transmitted to people through the bite of infected female Aedes mosquitoes, the same type of mosquito that spreads dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. Efforts to control the spread of the virus include eliminating mosquito breeding sites and taking precautions against mosquito bites such as using insect repellent and mosquito nets.

 

- There is no treatment or vaccine available for Zika infection. People who get Zika virus disease typically have a mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain and fatigue, with symptoms normally lasting for two to seven days. Most people never develop symptoms. US health officials say the US has two potential vaccine candidates and may begin human clinical trials by the end of 2016, but there will not be a widely available vaccine for several years.

 

Replay Video

• 
  Stopping the spread of Zika virus in the U.S.

  Researchers are trying to stop the spread of Zika, a virus spread by mosquitoes, in the United States. CNN's Elizabeth Cohen reports.

  CNN
• 
  CDC: Pregnant Women at Greatest Risk for Zika

  Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning pregnant women to postpone travel plans to areas where Zika virus has been reported in the hopes of reducing risks of birth defects and spread of virus. (Jan. 28)

  Associated Press
• 
  Amid Zika Virus Panic, Will South America Push to Loosen Abortion Bans?

  With no vaccine, no cure, and without even a reliable diagnosis, doctors are at a loss for how to protect their patients from the Zika virus. In the past year, the mosquito-borne disease has spread throughout Latin America, sparking panic because of a possible link to microcephaly—babies born with abnormally small brains. Without more information, medical advice so far has boiled down to this: Don’t get pregnant. So say official guidelines from Brazil, Colombia, and Honduras. Ecuador has gone so far as to recommend women do not get pregnant until 2018.

  Wochit News

SETTINGS

OFF

HD

HQ

SD

LO

 

 

- The virus has been linked to a devastating birth defect called microcephaly in which babies are born with abnormally small heads and brains that have not developed properly. The WHO said a direct causal relationship between Zika virus infection and birth defects has not yet been established but is strongly suspected. Local health authorities in Brazil in 2015 observed an increase in babies born with microcephaly at the same time as a Zika outbreak. About 4,000 cases of microcephaly have been reported in Brazil since September. Given an estimated 80% of people infected have no symptoms, it can be hard to tell if a pregnant woman has been infected. Research by Brazilian authorities indicates the greatest risk of microcephaly appears to be associated with infection during the first trimester of pregnancy.

 

 

- The WHO said Zika cases have been reported in 23 countries and territories in the Americas in the current outbreak. Brazil has been the nation most affected. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said Aedes mosquitoes are found in all countries in the Americas except Canada and continental Chile, and the virus will likely reach all countries and territories of the region where Aedes mosquitoes are found.

 

 

 

- Zika virus is found in tropical locales with large mosquito populations. Outbreaks of Zika virus disease have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Southern Asia and Western Pacific. The virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in rhesus monkeys and was first identified in people in 1952 in Uganda and Tanzania, according to the WHO.

 

- One case of possible person-to-person sexual transmission has been described but the Pan American Health Organization said more evidence is needed to confirm whether sexual contact is a means of Zika transmission. PAHO said there is currently no evidence the virus can be transmitted to babies through breast milk. PAHO said Zika can be transmitted through blood, but this is an infrequent transmission mechanism.

 

- The WHO says that because no big Zika outbreaks were recorded before 2007, little is known about complications caused by infection. Long-term health consequences remain unclear. It is uncertain whether in pregnant women the virus crosses the placenta and causes microcephaly. During an outbreak of Zika from 2013-2014 in French Polynesia, national health authorities reported an unusual increase in Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks part of the nervous system. Health authorities in Brazil have also reported an increase in Guillain-Barre syndrome. Other uncertainties surround the incubation period of the virus and how Zika interacts with other viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes such as dengue.

Latest News about Zika Virus

Story of the Zika Virus

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Center for Disease Control (CDC) are warning about yet another virus epidemic, the Zika virus. It may seem like such warnings are overblown, but they do need to be taken seriously.

WHO warns the world about Zika Virus

Zika Virus:-

The Zika Virus (Flaviviridae, an arbovirus) is spread through Aedes mosquito bites, the same mosquitoes that also spread Dengue fever. The infections themselves are usually mild, causing fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis. Many of those infected may even have a subclinical infection, meaning they do not notice any symptoms.

However, the infection can have complications. There is one case reported of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) following a Zika infection. GBS causes inflammation of the lining of nerves resulting primarily in weakness with variable recovery. This does not appear to be a huge risk, but something to monitor.

The bigger concern is about pregnant women being infected. There are numerous reports of poor pregnancy outcomes, mostly microcephaly, in women who have been infected with Zika while pregnant. Microcephaly means small head, and results from poor brain development.

There is currently no treatment for a Zika infection (other than usual supportive care if necessary). There is also no vaccine.

Prevention:-

• No vaccine exists to prevent Zika virus desease (Zica).
• Prevent Zika by avoiding mosquito bites (see below
• Mosquitoes that spread Zika virus bite mostly during the daytime. 

 
When traveling to countries where Zika virus or other viruses spread by mosquitoes are found, take the following steps:

      Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.

• Stay in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside
• Sleep under a mosquito bed net if you are overseas or outside and are not able to protect yourself from mosquito bites.

If you have a baby or child:

• Do not use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months of age.

• Dress your child in clothing that covers arms and legs, or
• Cover crib, stroller, and baby carrier with mosquito netting.
• Do not apply insect repellent onto a child’s hands, eyes, mouth, and cut or irritated skin.
• Adults: Spray insect repellent onto your hands and then apply to a child’s face.
• Treat clothing and gear with permethrin or purchase permethrin-treated items. 

• Treated clothing remains protective after multiple washings. See product information to learn how long the protection will last.
• If treating items yourself, follow the product instructions carefully.
• Do NOT use permethrin products directly on skin. They are intended to treat clothing.

If you have Zika, protect others from getting sick

• During the first week of infection, Zika virus can be found in the blood and passed from an infected person to another mosquito through mosquito bites. An infected mosquito can then spread the virus to other people.
• To help prevent others from getting sick, avoid mosquito bites during the first week of illness.