Health

Things you need to know about deadly Zika virus

By BIG WIRE

Posted on January 29, 2016

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After bird flu and swine flu, now a mosquito-borne virus christened as Zika is raising concern worldwide.
Physicians said if infected, the deadly virus can cause neurological birth disorder and hence it is more harmful for pregnant women.

The ABC news reported that in United States at least 36 people have been diagnosed with the virus. The infection has so far spread to at least 25 countries after Brazil reported its first case in May.

People travelling countries infected with Zika have been asked to protect themselves. Pregnant women should avoid going to such countries.

Women in some affected countries have been asked not to conceive for at least two years because the infection of this virus can result in babies being born with abnormally small heads.

Unlike the flu, Zika does not spread from person to person. Instead, it is spread by mosquitoes, like malaria and West Nile virus. Mosquitoes that bite a person infected with Zika can then spread it to others, the USA Today reported.

Following are seven important things you need to know about Zika virus.

What is the Zika virus?

It is a tropical infection new to the Western Hemisphere and transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquito which is related to dengue, yellow fever and West Nile virus.

Although it was discovered in the Zika forest in Uganda in 1947 and is common in Africa and Asia, it did not spread widely in the Western Hemisphere until last May, when an outbreak occurred in Brazil, according to the New York Times.

How is it transmitted?

Aedes mosquito is the carrier of this infection. If it bites a person who is already infected and then bites those who are not infected, they become carriers too. It may even spread through blood transfusion, according to India Today.

According to a report in the USA Today, there has been one case of possible spread through blood transfusion and one of possible spread through sex. The virus was also found on one occasion in semen.
What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of the virus are many. But most of the infected people never find out about the disease because it behaves like common flu. People affected with the virus suffer from fever, headache, joint pain, rashes and develop a pink eye.

There is also a possibility that the Zika virus causes microcephaly – unusually small heads and damaged brains. Doctors in northern Brazil had noticed a surge in babies with such condition in October.

What countries should pregnant women avoid?

Experts have advised to avoid travel to about two dozen destinations mostly in the Caribbean, Central America and South America.

The Zika virus has now spread to Bolivia, Brazil, Cape Verde, Colombia, Paraguay, the US Virgin Islands, Venezuela, among others.

Brazil has already seen 4,000 cases of microcephaly in babies born to women who were infected with Zika while they were pregnant.

How can you protect yourself?

As there are no vaccines or treatments for Zika so far, it is always better to avoid travelling to areas affected by this virus. If it cannot be avoided, then physicians recommend use an US’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved repellent over sunscreen, wear long pants and long sleeved shirts.

Can it spread to India?

Since the Zika virus is closely related to the endemic dengue virus and Indians have developed a passive immunity to this infection, it is likely that it may spread to this country too.

The traces of this virus were seen only in 1952-53. Health experts have however advised people to use preventive measures as prevention is always better than cure.

Is there a test to know if a person is affected?

It is often a silent infection and is hard to diagnose. Until recently, Zika was not considered a major threat because its symptoms are relatively mild and those infected usually do not have to be hospitalized.

There is no widely available test for Zika infection. A blood or tissue sample must be sent to an advanced laboratory to detect the virus through sophisticated molecular testing.

Big Wire