Outbreak: The Zika Virus

First isolated from a rhesus monkey in Uganda, the Zika virus (ZIK V) did not pose a serious global threat until recent outbreaks in 2007 on Yap Island in Micronesia and the current outbreak which began in 2013 in the French Polynesia. And, although the virus is transmitted via infected mosquitoes, studies indicate that the disease potentially can be transmitted sexually (Musso, D., Roche, C., Robin, E., Nhan, T., Teissier, A., and

A woman who is pregnant can transmit the Zika virus to her baby. Babies who have been infected with the virus can be born with microcephaly, a birth defect that impacts head size and brain development.

“This study marks a turning point in the Zika outbreak. It is now clear that the virus causes microcephaly”( Tom Frieden). Microcephaly is an abnormal smallness of the head, a congenital condition associated with incomplete brain development. With the Olympics being held in Brazil, there is much cause to attention the potential disease being brought back to the U.S. by female athletes bringing an epidemic to carry havoc on the citizens of the United States. It can be spread very easily through mosquito bites of the yellow fever mosquito. From the mosquitoes, the virus does not cause many symptoms to its victims generating unknown awareness of the virus. “ Only one in five people who become infected with Zika virus will feel sick. Symptoms of Zika virus infection include fever, rash, pink eye, pains in joints, pain behind the eyes, headache, and muscle pains”( Levison, Matthew). The symptoms, if any, last 4-7 days in most cases. The Zika Virus is an easily spread disease with few symptoms.

In the recent article, “Zika outbreak: What you need to know” by the BBC, the World Health Organization released valuable information regarding how to detect the disease, and what steps you can take to prevent it. Some of the common symptoms of Zika are; mild fever, red and sore eyes, headaches, joint pain, and rashes. Death from Zika is rare, but a very uncommon disorder can be caused by Zika called Guillain-Barré syndrome. This disorder will cause temporary paralysis. As of now, there are no drugs or vaccines that will help prevent Zika, but those who have the disease should rest and drink plenty of water. The largest concern regarding Zika is the impact it has on fetuses still developing in the womb. Zika can cause another serious disorder

The appearance and spread of the Zika virus inside the United States has recently made a huge impact on our society and healthcare professionals. The virus is being passed from an infected mother to her unborn child causing severe, life-altering disabilities and defects. More and more cases of the virus are being reported, with the biggest impact on the development of unborn babies. With no vaccine to protect against Zika, it is especially critical for pregnant women to take precautions when being exposed to mosquitoes, the primary vector for Zika.

It spreads to humans primarily through the bite of an infected mosquito species (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus). Symptoms of this virus is either mild or do not have any symptoms at all. If it does show any symptoms, then it lasts up to a week. If pregnant women are infected with Zika virus then it can result in birth defects called microcephaly and even other severe brain defects.

April 2015, small but deadly outbreaks began in Brazil, South America. Hundreds of Brazilian women infected by the Zika virus, endanger their unborn children to develop a form of brain damage called, Microcephaly. In the early months of 2016, South America’s CDCP (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) announced the Zika virus has taken full effect, and called for a state of emergency. Researchers today, study the effects of the Zika virus, where it comes/evolved from, and if there is a cure.

Here’s a few things that you should know about the Zika virus if your planning to conceive a child within the next few years. Zika has been around since April 1947 its name comes from the Zika Forest; studies have been done on monkeys in the forest, the monkeys are placed in cages in different elevations in forest then later tested for Zika.

A possible solution for finding out if the virus is spreading, is take blood or urine from the people that have had contact with this patient. Another outcome to stop all Zika would be to find a cure or supplement to breed into the mosquito species. This is hard to find an outcome for because with some of patients, nobody knows how they got the virus in the first place. All of the civilized nations should come together, before Zika gets out of hand and figure out a way to detect the virus and stop it from

The easiest way the Zika virus can be transmitted is by being bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus. Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are the two mosquitoes that generally carry dengue virus and chikunguya as well as the Zika virus carry the Zika virus (“Destination News – Asia”). With the rise people infected with the Zika virus, these two mosquitos are expected to expand to other countries (see figure

Base on the scientist Zika virus is a mosquito and is only worse in pregnant women or in infants. According to the research, there are so many ways that you can prevent yourself from zika virus either do not get pregnant in those countries that are infected or get an abortion if you have the virus and wait for a while until there is either a vaccine, or the virus is controllable. I have leaned Ebola virus in class, but it seems like Ebola virus is so much worse and serious that zika to me. Ebola killed men and women of all age, it also could spread faster, while the zika virus is too weak to kill a grown man or woman, it only gives them a fever or a rush, also it does not spread from man to man that is it.

So what is this Zika virus anyway? It actually isn’t too bad to the average human. It just causes flu-like symptoms, a rash, muscle and joint pains. The symptoms are usually pretty mild, and sometimes there aren’t even symptoms at all. It doesn’t require you to be hospitalized, and it’s usually over after a week. The scary and threatening thing about it is, if a pregnant

The Zika Virus is a condition that initially started in Brazil and has now made its way around the world by transmission of mosquitos.The symtoms of Zika virus are typically last only a week or so and include fever, rash, and aching joints. Many adults contract the virus with no symptoms, which makes it easy to spread to their partners through sexual transmission and even onto their fetus if they are pregnant (Jin). Women began bearing children that were born with microcephaly, which is a condition that causes the head and brain to be smaller than normal. It is thought that the Zika virus starts to delay the growth of the skull from the beginning of fetal development (Teixeira). Serology tests are used to detect the virus in the mother, and

Aedes species carry the virus. Many people think that Zika is a brand new virus, however, that is untrue. Zika was first recognized in Uganda in 1947 in monkeys; it was identified in humans in 1952 in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania (WHO 2016). Usual symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis and last for a few days to a few weeks. Because of the mild symptoms people think they just have a common cold and many cases of Zika go unreported. Even pregnant women may be unaware they have the virus and do not check to see if their baby has developed Microcephaly. Microcephaly causes babies to be born with heads much smaller than the average child’s, which leads to developmental delays, disabilities, difficulty swallowing and walking, hearing loss, and vision problems. Babies born with severe Microcephaly are at risk of mortality. Brazil has banned the use of pesticides to control the Zika outbreak because there was concern that the pesticides were causing Microcephaly because previous Zika outbreaks did not link with Microcephaly; however, Zika mutates frequently and it has been confirmed that Zika is the link and not pesticides (Mercer 2016). Researches studied Zika infected pregnant mice and they found that the mice born had smaller than average heads; they also had other abnormalities such as, eye problems and cell death. One of the researchers, Muotri,

Zika Virus is a disease a mosquito-borne flavivirus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in the monkeys through a network that monitored yellow fever. It was later noticed in humans in 1952 in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. There has also been other recording of the Zika Virus in Africa, the United States, Asia and the Pacific. From the 1960 's to the 1980 's, human infections were only found in Asia and Africa until here recently and now there are reporting’s of the Zika Virus in the United States. As of October , 2016 there are 105 locally acquired cases in the United