Zika Virus Essay

Consequently, the spread of the Zika virus from its originating countries of Africa and Asia, to American countries has linked the virus as an ongoing epidemic. Due to climate changes, warmer winter temperatures, there is an increase of egg survival (Ali, 2017). Warmer spring, summer, and fall temperatures may also lengthen the season transmission of the virus in temperate regions as well. In addition, the spread of the flu- like virus in humans is is also due to natural disasters, such as, earthquakes and hurricanes destroying homes forcing residents to sleep outside exposing themselves to infected mosquitoes. International travelers are also at potential risk of contracting the virus, especially in industrialized countries. Furthermore, pregnant women or women of child bearing age should refrain from traveling to countries that are known for the Zika mosquito infestation.

Although we know these facts about the virus, the medical community still doesn’t know if there’s a “safe time” in a woman’s pregnancy to travel to an area that’s experiencing a Zika outbreak. It’s also unknown how likely it is that a Zika infection will impact an unborn baby.

Marsha- As we know, the Zika virus can be passed from the mother to the fetus and can cause congenital microcephaly and other severe brain defects to the fetus. If you have a confirmed case of the Zika virus, does your department have a protocol in place for scanning these patients? Have you performed a case that there was a confirmed case of the Zika virus? If so, can you tell us what the physicians plan was for the patient and fetus?

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.

As of now, there is no vaccines or medications to eradicate the zika virus. However, Inovio Pharmaceuticals are in the progress of working on a vaccine for the zike virus (Fellner, 2016). There are methods to help decrease an individual of contacting the virus. Since the zika virus can be spread by sexual contact, men and women should adhere to strict guidelines to prevent transmission of the virus. The CDC advise men that traveled or resided in an active zika infected area, the men should avoid having sexual contact with the spouse or use latex condoms during any sexual contact. Individuals that are exposed to the zika virus should not donate blood. In the environmental efforts, all efforts to remove mosquitos breeding sites are encouraged. For example, buckets and pots should be evacuated and washed on a daily basis or covered. Gutters or recycled tires needed to cleaned or removed, if feasible. Insect repellents that have DEET, IR3535, or icaridin are recommended during the mosquito?s season. Lastly, a person should cover as much of his/her body allow when outdoors (Feller,

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

“If you have heard about the Zika virus and are wondering what it is, you are not alone.” Can you only imagine a baby being born with a golf ball size head? Well in this case, if you are infected with the Zika virus it will cause your child to be born with an abnormal head (Brown).

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

The Zika virus has shown to be increasingly circulating into a larger portion of the United States. This virus has devastating effects in people of all ages, including unborn children in pregnant women. Therefore, no one is protected from these virus carrying mosquitos. Symptoms including fevers, red eyes, rashes, and joint pain. Although the virus does not kill an infectee directly, infections and other complications will arise from the virus and could lead to fatality.

Although the Zika virus may be considered a new epidemic virus to many people in the United States Zika in fact has been a concern for Africa and Southeast Asia since the mid nineteen forties. Researchers now believe that the first strand of Zika that was traced back to a primate has now mutated into a more complex strand of virus. The newly formed outbreak of Zika started in western pacific islands and has spread to South America with high concentration of outbreaks in highly populated Brazil. The most recent outbreaks have been seen in the Caribbean Islands and Puerto Rico. Zika is an “ Abrovirus”, which is a virus that affects RNA in humans and is spread through arthropods such as mosquitoes. (Facui, 2016) Zika is a complex virus affecting individuals in particular ways; unlike strep throat that has specific signs and symptoms that doctors can diagnose. Zika may be viewed as a mild flu or in some cases in particular such as the reported case in the French Polynesia and Brazil of having neurological impacts on the patient. (Mlakar, 2016) New reports and studies have shown that the Zika virus can affect fetal development. Microcephaly in particular is a new- found impact on fetus development and mothers infected with the virus. The impacts of Zika are still being learned and only time will be able to present a cure to the virus, vaccines for other abrovirus are now being modified to help prevent the infectious spread of Zika. As headlines build and new cases are reported

The Zika virus is an infectious disease that is spreading explosively (“Brown”). The virus emerged in Africa in the late 1940s (“Ford”). The virus only recently traveled to Europe, Asia, the Americas, and some Pacific islands (“Ford”). There are however, ways that it can be stopped.

The Zika virus is a disease that has been tearing through all of the Americas. With its new found, symptoms scientists are in a scramble to figure out how it happened and how to stop it. But, if scientists don’t find a cure quickly this disease could continue to spread to the rest of Northern America and even all over the

First, people can make sure to use a personal protection if choosing to engage in sexual intercourse (Fiorentino). Along with protection, general abstinence sexual intercourse during the pregnancy is the greatest option to avoid birth defects (Fiorentino). However, sexual infection can also occur in areas other than South America from infected males traveling from South America. Therefore, abstinence is advised for 6 months if a man was proven to have the Zika infection or “8 weeks if a man traveled to an area with active viral transmission” (Fiorentino). Simply by avoiding having sexual intercourse, couples can greatly reduce the likelihood of birth defects due to an infected mother. However, other measures have to be taken to slow the disease

Since the first reported case of Zika virus in the 1950s, the virus has affected millions of people. There have been 2 documented outbre (Ochler, et. al, 2016)aks of the virus one in France in 2013 and the second in South and Central America in 2015. The most recent outbreak alone contributed to 1.3 million cases

The “Zika virus is an emerging mosquito-borne virus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in rhesus monkeys… It was subsequently identified inhuman in 1952 in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania”("Zika virus", 2016). However, unfortunately, it now has been reported in the United States as of 2016. The disease has been reported to cause potential neurological and auto-immune complications, as well as, increase the likelihood of babies being born with microcephaly or “a rare neurological condition in which an infant’s head is significantly smaller than the heads of other children of the same age and sex”("Microcephaly", 2016). Since the Zika virus is spread by mosquitos and their breeding sites it can pose a significant risk for the transmission of the virus, and prevention often relies on the source reduction of mosquitos themselves, which can often be difficult. “So far, 31 domestic cases have been reported all outside of the U.S. However, as warm weather approaches, the odds could be that local transmission of the mosquito-borne disease will begin to be seen (Bryant, 2016).