Zika virus Infection has spread to people by mosquito bites. The most typical symptoms of Zika virus disease are rash, joint pain, fever, & conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually acute with symptoms lasting from several days to a week. Severe disorders requiring hospitalization is uncommon.
In May 2015, the PAHO (Pan American Health Organization) issued a warning about the first confirmed Zika virus infection in the country, Brazil. The outbreak in Brazil started to reports of Guillain-Barre syndrome & pregnant women giving birth to babies with birth defects & poor pregnancy results.
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Zika virus infection
Zika virus infection has caused by the bite of an infected mosquito, called Aedes typically causing mild fever, conjunctivitis, rash, & muscle pain.
The virus had isolated for the first time in the year 1947 in the Zika forest in Uganda. After that, it has remained largely in Africa, with small & sporadic outbreaks in Asia. In 2007, the major pandemic was reported on the island of Yap, Micronesia, where nearly 75 percent of the population has infected.
On 3 March 2014, “Chile” revealed PAHO/WHO that it had fortified a case of autochthonous transmission of the Zika virus on Easter Island, where the virus advanced to detect until June 2014.
In May 2015, the public health officials of the Brazil has confirmed the transmission of the Zika virus in the northeast of the Brazil. Since October 2015, other countries & boundaries of the Americas reported the presence of the virus.
Zika virus infection Symptoms
The most prominent symptoms of Zika virus infections are mild fever and skin rash (exanthema ), usually accompanied by conjunctivitis, muscle or joint pain, & collective malaise that begins 2 to 7 days after the bite of an infected mosquito.
One out of 4 infected people extends symptoms of the disease. Amongst those who do, the infection is frequently mild & can last 2 to 7 days. Symptoms had related to those of dengue or chikungunya, which had transferred from the same species of the mosquito.
Neurological & autoimmune complexities are infrequent but have reported in the outbreaks in Polynesia and, more latterly, in Brazil. As the virus spreads in the Americas, providing us more experience with its symptoms & complications, it will be desirable to distinguish the disease better. Read more on Viral Fever
How is Zika virus spread?
Zika virus has transmitted to people by the bite of an infected mosquito called Aedes. It is the related mosquito that carries dengue and chikungunya.
Can it be transferred through sexual contact or blood?
In common, the Zika virus needs a vector, a means of transportation to infect the people. That vector is the mosquito. The virus has also departed in semen, & one case of possible person-to-person sexual transmission has reported, but not confirmed.
Zika can transmit through the blood, but this is a unique mechanism. The general suggestions for safe transfusions should follow (Ex., healthy volunteer donors).
Can it be spread from a mother to child?
There is little information on transmission from mother to baby during pregnancy or childbirth. The perinatal transmission has reported with other vector-borne viruses, such as dengue and chikungunya. Now studies have conducted on possible mother-to-child transmission of the virus & its potential effects on the baby. Read on Top 7 Embarrassing Pregnancy Symptoms
Zika virus infection Treatment
Treatment consists of relieving the pain, fever, & any other symptom that nuisance the patient. It is suggested to control the temperature or fever, rest, & drink the excess of water to prevent dehydration in the body. There is no medicine or specific drug for this Zika virus.
Can Zika virus infection cause death?
In this Section, it is a distinct virus that up till now has had a very inadequate geographical & demographic distribution, and there is no proof that it can cause death. Though, sporadic cases have been reported of more severe manifestations and complexities in patients with preexisting disorders or conditions, causing death.
Who is at risk of Zika infection?
Anyone not earlier revealed to the virus & who lives in an area where the mosquito is present, and where carried or local cases have reported, might be infected. Since the “Aedes” mosquito has found throughout the Region (except in the continental Chile & Canada), it is possible that explosions will occur in other countries that have not however reported any cases.
How is Zika diagnosed?
In most people, diagnosis is sordid on clinical symptoms & epidemiological circumstances (such as Zika disruption in the patient’s area or indulgences to areas where the virus is scattering).
Blood tests can aid to confirm the diagnosis. Some virological PCR tests are valuable for the first 3 -5 days after the onset of symptoms whereas others (serological tests) recognize the presence of antibodies but are helpful only after five days.
Once it has confirmed that the virus is present in the given area or territory, evidence of all cases is not required, and laboratory testing will adjust to constant virological surveillance of the condition.
What is the distinction between Zika, dengue, & chikungunya?
All these diseases present related symptoms, but specific symptoms suggest one illness or another:
Dengue normally presents with higher fever & more rigid muscle pain. There can be complexities when the fever breaks: care should take to warning symptoms such as bleeding.
Chikungunya presents with the higher fever & more extreme joint pain, hitting the hands, knees, feet, & back. It can incapacitate people, twisting them over so that they cannot walk or execute simple things such as opening a water bottle.
Zika does not have distinctly unique features, but most patients have skin rashes & some have conjunctivitis.
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Reference sites:
http://www.cdc.gov/zika/symptoms/