The Zika Virus (ZIKV)

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, “About 80 percent of people who are infected with Zika virus may not have any symptoms. Illness may develop in 20 percent of infected people within 3 to 7 days after a bite from an infected mosquito. Common symptoms of Zika virus infection include fever, rash, joint pain, conjunctivitis (red eyes), muscle pain or headache. Severe symptoms and fatalities are uncommon” (“Zika Virus”). The author reports that not everyone with the virus will become sick, and some might never show symptoms. This is important because there is no clear way to be certain that you are not infected. The uncertainty of Zika is partly why it has become such a problem. If someone is unaware they have the disease, they could easily pass it on to others.

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

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.

This event is important because Zika was first found in Florida. A tourist brought the disease into the United States. Zika was first seen in Brazil, where the disease has been a factor for newborn babies in Brazil. Mosquitos can transmit Zika to people with just one bite if there are infected. Zika has been known for originated in Uganda. If Zika has affected someone, they are most likely to get Guillain-Barré. Gullain-Barré is a rare disease that the immune system attacks the nerves. You may experience pain in the muscles.

Zika virus disease, also referred to as Zika, is a disease that people can contract from the Zika virus. The Zika virus first emerged in Uganda in 1947 in rhesus monkeys. Its name comes from the Zika forest located in Uganda (CDC).

The virus Zika commonly found in Southwest Asia has suddenly affected Americans in South Flordia and Texas. The virus has spread mostly by the Aedes mosquito which bites a person and passes it onto them. Another transferring method of Zika is from a pregnant woman to its offspring. “Some infants with congenital Zika virus infection who do not have microcephaly at birth may later experience slowed head growth and develop postnatal microcephaly” (CDC). Although Zika is commonly known for birth defects, some women with the virus may not give birth to a defected baby or even have any symptoms. Symptoms do not occur with this virus which makes it hard to find in people. A way of testing is to take urine and blood samples to detect Zika. Also, no treatment or cure has been made. The only way to keep the virus contained is to avoid being bitten or spray for the mosquitos using an areal spray.

On February 1st, WHO announced that the zika virus has caused a global health emergency. By then, it was found in 64 countries, with Brazil bearing the highest amount of cases. While there has been speculation of it being brought into Brazil during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, this information while important to many, is rather extraneous information.

The Zika Virus was originally found back in Brazil in 1947 and was named after a forest in Uganda. The Zika virus is extremely rare to develop, with fewer than 1,000 U.S. cases per year.

Zika virus was first discovered in 1947 in Uganda and is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. It can cause a fever, joint pain, a rash, and pink eye, but most

Zika virus infection in humans has changed in character from an endemic self-limited mild illness to an epidemic disease implicated in severe neurological squeals and fetal malformations. The 2015 epidemic of Zika virus infection was the largest that spread over 39 countries in the Americas, with 4,160 confirmed cases.

The Zika virus outbreak has been a hot topic of discussion lately. Within the past year, news stations all over the United States have been talking about it. The virus has been around since the 1940’s, so why is it just now being talked about worldwide? This is because it has recently spread to the Americas, and the World Health Organization declared the Zika virus as an international public health emergency on February 1st, 2016. “The agency said the emergency is warranted because of how fast the mosquito-borne virus is spreading and its suspected link to an alarming spike in babies born with abnormally small heads -- a condition called microcephaly -- in Brazil and French Polynesia” (Michael Pearson 2016). The virus is transmitted directly

Zika virus (Zika) is spread to
people through mosquito bites. Symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain and red
eyes. The illness is usually mild, with about
one in five people infected developing symptoms. Recently, Zika virus infections in pregnant women have been linked to infants born with birth defects. Zika virus has also been linked to Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disorder in which your body's immune system attacks your nerves.

Similar to HIV, the Zika virus was first discovered in marsupials in 1947. The virus originated from the Zika forest, specifically being carried by members within the population of rhesus monkeys. Just a year later the virus was also detected in the mosquito Aedes africanus. Mosquitoes are the main culprit in spreading zika, however it has been reported that Zika can pass between organisms through sexual transmission. Blood tests have found antibodies that protect humans from the virus in people from India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Vietnam, The Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia. These antibodies show evidence of just how far the zika virus has traveled and how it has evolved over time.

Dr. Dan Pastula discussed that arboviruses are transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks, or sandflies. Zika has become a well known virus, but it was first identified in Uganda in 1947. It was thought for a long time, that patients are asymptomatic to mildly sick due to Zika virus. Rash, fevers, arthragias, myalgia, headaches, and conjunctivitis are common symptoms. However, Zika traveled across the Pacific and is now in areas that it previously was not. It is now known that Zika can be transmitted through sex and can have more severe disease. AIDP, meningoencephalitis, myelitis, and seizures can be seen in patients with active virus, and congenital abnormailites have been seen.

in 1947, the virus first revealed itself through the blood of a rhesus macaque located inside of the Zika forest. After its discovery, no evidence suggested that the virus could cause human diseases. Nevertheless, serosurveys were conducted in various regions of Uganda. Through these surveys, a 6.1% seroprevalence of antibodies against Zika virus was discovered. This added insight on to the frequency of human infection. This virus generally transmits through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. Individuals who contract this virus typically experience symptoms such as: “fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis.” The disease can often go