Monday, May 30, 2016
is a member of the Flaviviridae family and is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. It is related to other pathogenic vector borne flaviviruses including dengue, West-Nile and Japanese encephalitis viruses but produces a comparatively mild disease in humans. Since 2007 Zika virus has caused several outbreaks in the Pacific, and since 2015 it further spread in the Americas. These were the first documented transmissions outside of its traditional endemic areas in Africa and Asia. Zika virus is considered an emerging infectious disease with the potential to spread to new areas where the Aedes mosquito vector is present
An evolving outbreak of Zika virus infections is currently spreading in the Americas and the Pacific region, coinciding with an increase in cases of microcephaly and other adverse outcomes during pregnancy and of Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) in adults.
On 1 February 2016 WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) regarding clusters of microcephaly cases and neurological disorders in some areas affected by Zika virus.
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The Zika virus is spread to people mainly through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. It can also be spread from a pregnant woman to her fetus and from a man to partners through sex. Many who become infected with the Zika virus will not even know that they have contracted the disease because symptoms are often mild. They may include fever, muscle aches, eye irritation or a rash. The condition is rarely deadly and usually lasts for a few days to a week.
For pregnant women, the story is not so simple. Zika virus has been linked to infants born with microcephaly (a birth defect in which babies are born with smaller heads). In addition to microcephaly, fetuses and infants infected with Zika virus may have eye defects, hearing problems and growth retardation, among other conditions. The link between Zika virus and birth defects has become strong enough that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends that pregnant women avoid travel to areas where Zika is spreading.
On 1 February 2016 WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) regarding clusters of microcephaly cases and neurological disorders in some areas affected by Zika virus.
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The Zika virus is spread to people mainly through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. It can also be spread from a pregnant woman to her fetus and from a man to partners through sex. Many who become infected with the Zika virus will not even know that they have contracted the disease because symptoms are often mild. They may include fever, muscle aches, eye irritation or a rash. The condition is rarely deadly and usually lasts for a few days to a week.
For pregnant women, the story is not so simple. Zika virus has been linked to infants born with microcephaly (a birth defect in which babies are born with smaller heads). In addition to microcephaly, fetuses and infants infected with Zika virus may have eye defects, hearing problems and growth retardation, among other conditions. The link between Zika virus and birth defects has become strong enough that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends that pregnant women avoid travel to areas where Zika is spreading.
