Zhikv Case Studies

Zika virus was discovered by scientists in the Zika rainforest in a remote part of Uganda in 1947, in the serum of an infected rheseus monkey. With five thousand two hundred thirty- four known cases of the infectious virus documented in the United States. There is currently no vaccination for the flu like virus. The chief concern of the healthcare administration is to continue to take preventive measures to prevent contracting the virus. Within the same flavivirus family

Researchers have built up a nonhuman primate model of Zika infection disease to better comprehend its course in people, particularly in pregnant ladies. David O'Connor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and partners infused eight rhesus macaques—two of them pregnant—with the Asian strain of the infection as of now flowing in South and Central America. The non-pregnant and pregnant monkeys were still contaminated 21 days and up to 57 days after the fact, individually, and all creatures were resistant to reinfection 10 weeks post-infusion, the scientists reported today (June 28) in Nature Communications. Before distribution, the group was posting its information online continuously.

As of now, there is no official vaccine for Zika. Instead, a patient that has the contagion must undergo certain treatments. Fortunately, the remedies for the virus are simple and cheap. If infection occurs, it is vital to get an abundance of rest and liquids; medication is also advised to assist in alleviating pain. The treatments for Zika are straightforward because the disease itself is rather mild. In fact, in most reported cases of the virus in the United States, the illness only lasted approximately two to seven days prior to the first set of symptoms (“World Health Organization”). It is evident that the fear associated with the Zika Virus is slightly exaggerated. Currently, there is only one recorded fatality in the United States that is directly related to Zika (“The Washington Post”). This is mainly because first world countries’ medical programs are advanced enough to effectively treat the virus. The standard of living in these countries are also higher compared to third world countries. That is why Zika has claimed a significant amount of lives worldwide; the poor conditions in these countries make it difficult for infected individuals to get proper

This result has been 30 times higher than pre-Zika virus years and there has been more birth defect within the first trimester. The result of the study indicated that 15% of women with confirmed Zika infection during the first trimester had babies with birth defects and that almost every state reported one woman with suspected Zika infection during pregnancy. Based on the report, infants born to women with evidence of possible Zika virus infection should follow-up and routine development assessment that will help identify for future outcomes associated with the Zika virus. Neuroimaging test is needed to detect these abnormalities. The report also indicates that the study has at least four limitations and that there was limited data about the maternal risk factors such as genetic or other infectious causes, which could has been the reason for some of the birth defects reported in the study. Overall, the result of this study is important because it gives more information about the Zika virus and how is affecting pregnant women in U.S.

McNeil, Donald G., and Pam Belluck. "Extensive Brain Defects seen in Babies of Mothers with Zika." New York Times, 14 Dec, 2016, pp. A.3, SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com.

The start of the video explains the origin of the propagation of the Zika virus, which uses the Aedes mosquito as a host, to aid in the dispersion of the virus by method of biting. Once the person has been bitten by the mosquito and contract Zika, the virus can continue to disseminate through sexual contact or from a pregnant woman to her fetus. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) arrived to an important conclusion, Zika virus causes many malformation

The Zika virus has had a constant presence in the news for the past few months. This article describes Ana Gabriela do Prado Paschoal's struggles. She contracted the Zika virus while pregnant with her now three month old daughter Maria. Maria now suffers from brain lesions, stiff muscles, and brain damage. With the help of scans, imaging, and autopsies doctors learned that the Zika virus eats away at the fetal brain. It is responsible for shrinking or destroying the part of the brain that controls vision, thought process, and other basic functions.

The article “Study Finds Multiple Problems In Fetuses Exposed to Zika Virus”, author Rob Stein (2016) explains the complications that babies in the womb might face when exposed to the Zika virus. Zika’s recent outbreak has created global concern, especially due to the known correlation of microcephaly in newborn infants (Stein, 2016). Unfortunately, a recent study has shown that Zika might cause more than microcephaly in infants whose mother had the Zika virus. Stein includes the report by The New England Medical Journal that showed the results of Zika in pregnant women could lead to miscarriages, brain damage, growth issues, and other health complications (Stein, 2016). Zika is a global health issue that requires assistance, research, and intervention strategies.

Zika is a virus transmitted to humans via infected mosquitoes (Aedes species), blood transfusion and sex (CDC, 2016b). Those who are infected rarely show symptoms but when they do, the most common symptoms are mild such as a fever, rash, joint pain or conjunctivitis (Ministry of Health, 2016). Due to these symptoms being mild and flu-like, people infected with Zika rarely die from it and often do not realize they have been infected (CDC, 2016b). However, when infected especially during pregnancy, the child may be born with a condition that causes unusually small heads, known as Microcephaly (World Health Organisation, 2016). This condition can lead to various problems such as seizures, cognitive deficits and feeding, hearing and vision problems (CDC, 2016a). At the

The Zika virus is very well known around the world as a mosquito carried virus that may cause birth defects to unborn children if pregnant women are infected. Since the Zika virus started spreading widely sometime in 2013, there has been many efforts to regulate the virus with a vaccine to prevent any harm to pregnant women and their unborn children. In the article, “Considerations for Developing a Zika Virus” written by Hilary Marston, provides useful information about what should be considered when developing a Zika vaccine in order to be successful and to eliminate any risk to pregnant women. Marston has stated her idea that, “An efficient development pathway must be delineated, including the optimal ways to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity, and effectiveness of vaccine candidates for intended target populations.” When creating a vaccine, Marston states that the

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

Causes of obtaining the Zika virus include the exposure to the female mosquito Aedes and sexual contact. Such expose to Zika leads to horrible effects, but the most horrible effect is found within pregnant women. Apparently, if a pregnant woman is exposed to the Zika virus, then the unborn baby can also get infected with Zika. From the nine cases of pregnant women in the United States with the Zika virus five of them have suffered severe consequences from this virus. Two pregnant women of the nine ended up having miscarriages after presenting symptoms of the Zika virus. Other two women decided to abort their unborn baby after “an ultrasound showed the fetus had severe brain damage” and the last women, from the five out of the nine pregnant women where the child was affected, gave birth to a baby “with severe microcephaly.” The rest of the women either gave birth to a healthy baby or the ultrasound has not revealed any abnormalities found in the baby, allowing them to continue with their pregnancy

The prevalence of the Zika virus is increasing drastically in the United States. The CDC (2016) informs that there is currently a total of 32,725 people affected by this virus, with 98.74% locally acquired mosquitos-born cases and 1.24% travel-associated cases. The CDC also informs that the Zika virus is growing worldwide. Countries need to be prepared and strengthen detection and prevention, as well as care and support for people with this disease. This rapid growth of Zika virus has yet to be met with a large scientific response. It presents many urgent and challenging scientific questions. In an effort to raise awareness in the communities and help prevent the extension of locally acquired mosquitoes-born cases all over the U.S, we decided to elaborate a project that would be focused on prevention and education of the Zika virus, in affected and non-affected communities in the U.S.

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.

The Zika virus is a flavivirus that is most commonly transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. This virus was first found in 1947 in a Ugandan rainforest and roughly ten years later the first human was infected with the virus. Since this initial outbreak, the virus has circulated through Africa, Asia and the Pacific Islands. This virus was contained to these areas until it came into the western hemisphere in 2015. In 2015 cases of the Zika virus were found in Brazil and by May of that year the Brazilian Health Organization ordered a state of emergency because an estimated 1.5 million people were infected with the virus. Since May, this virus has further spread from Brazil into the Caribbean, Central and South America. Symptoms of this illness are mild but include fever, rash, conjunctivitis and joint pain. Because this is a mild virus many people do not show symptoms and do not realize that they have been infected. For the people who do show symptom’s they do not occur until one or two weeks after being bitten by the infected mosquito and symptoms only last a week. Right now there are no treatment options available for the virus, it is just suggested that infected people get plenty of rest and remain hydrated. The biggest concern about this virus is its effect on pregnant women and its relationship with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). When contracted by a pregnant woman, the Zika virus not only effects the mother but can be detrimental for