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Zika virus is a member of the virus family Flaviviridae. It is spread by daytime-active Aedes mosquitoes, such as A. aegypti and A. albopictus. Its name comes from the Ziika Forest of Uganda, where the virus was first found in 1947. Zika virus can cause diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and West Nile virus.Since the 1950s, it has been known to occur within a narrow equatorial area from Africa to Asia. From 2007 to 2016, the virus spread eastward, across the Pacific Ocean to the Americas, leading to the 2015–2016 Zika virus epidemic.
What is zika fever
Zika fever (also known as Zika virus disease) is an illness caused by Zika virus.Around 80% of cases are estimated asymptomatic.Symptomatic cases are usually mild and can resemble dengue fever.
Symptoms Of Zika virus (Zika Fever)
Many people infected with Zika virus won’t have symptoms or will only have mild symptoms. The most common symptoms of Zika are...
- Fever
- Rash
- Headache
- Joint pain
- Red eyes
- Muscle pain
Symptoms can last for several days to a week. People usually don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika. Once a person has been infected with Zika, they are likely to be protected from future infections.
Transmission Of zika virus
- Zika virus is primarily transmitted by infected mosquitoes of the Aedes (Stegomyia) genus, mainly Aedes aegypti, in tropical and subtropical regions.
- Aedes mosquitoes usually bite during the day. These mosquitoes also transmit dengue, chikungunya and urban yellow fever.
- Zika virus is also transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy.
- It also transmit through sexual contact, transfusion of blood and blood products, and possibly through organ transplantation.
Treatment Of Zika Virus
There is no specific treatment available for Zika virus infection or disease.
- People with symptoms such as rash, fever or joint pain should get plenty of rest, drink enoigh fluids.
- Treat symptoms with antipyretics and/or analgesics. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should be avoided until dengue virus infections are ruled out because of bleeding risk.
- If symptoms worsen, patients should seek medical care and advice.
- Pregnant women living in areas with Zika transmission or who develop symptoms of Zika virus infection should seek medical attention for laboratory testing, information, counselling and other clinical care.
Prevention Of Zika Virus
No vaccine is yet available for the prevention or treatment of Zika virus infection. Development of a Zika vaccine remains an active area of research.
To increase protection, people are advised to:
- use insect repellent.
- wear long-sleeved garments and long pants.
- place mosquito nets over beds (in some cases).
- use window and door screens.
- avoid areas with standing water, by emptying tanks or choosing to camp away from lakes or ponds.
- The person must also be careful to avoid unprotected sex, as this, too, can pass on the virus.
- A person who is infected with Zika should to avoid being bitten by a mosquito for 3 weeks after symptoms appear, because the mosquito can pass the virus to the next person.
