Zika is a life-threatening, mosquito-borne virus. Since May 2015 the zika virus has spread through the Americas at an alarming rate. Although zika infections are short and only 20% of those infected develop mild symptoms, the virus poses a significant threat to pregnant women. Current data suggests that 1/50 babies born in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco have been born with birth defects, due to the virus. The current outbreak to have spread so rapidly due to the abundance of the virus-carrying mosquito Aedes aegypti and the poor public sanitation of many of the affected countries.
9 history of the virus
The zika infection is named after the zika forest in Uganda, where the first case was discovered in a monkey. the first human case was detected in 1954 in Nigeria and since then there have been small outbreak in Africa, South East Asia, and the Pacific Islands. the virus can currently be found in 21 countries throughout the Caribbean, and North and South America.
8 Zika and pregnancy
Central American country EL Salvador has told women in their country that they shouldn’t get pregnancy for the next two years, in order to avoid the birth defects associated with the virus. EL Salvador is just one of a handful of countries throughout the Americas the have called for women to delay pregnancy. however, women’s rights groups have criticized the move. the have point out that because of rape and a lack of contraception, 56% of pregnancies in latin America and the Caribbean are unplanned. furthermore, the zika outbreak is occurring in countries with some of the strictest abortion law in the world.
7 Aedees aegypti
The zika virus is predominantly spread by the aedes aegypti mosquito, which is found in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world. this species is well adapted to living in urban areas and extremely successful at spreading disease. As the female mosquitoes feed exclusively on human blood, once infected, they pass on the virus to the next people they bite. the mosquito is most known for infecting hundreds of millions of people with viral diseases, dengue, and yellow fever.
6 Eradioation of mosquitoes
The Sedes aegypti mosquito is famously hard to eradicate, due to its diverse breeding sites and ability to resist pesticides. Another potential solution is genetic engineering. British firm Oxitec have modified male mosquitos so that they contain a self-destructive gene. this causes them to die before they reach adulthood, which can reduce the population by 80%. However, there is no evidence to prove that even a significant population drop of the mosquito would end the outbreak. Furthermore, the cost of manufacturing and releasing the mosquitoes would be unsustainable.
5 bigger than Ebda
The world health organization has claimed that the zika outbreak could be a bigger threat than Ebola epidemic. this is because 80% of those infected with zika show no symptoms, which makes tracking the disease extremely difficult. there is currently no cure for the virus and finding a vaccine could take up to 10 years. this is because finding an vaccine would mean directing restorative trails on pregnant ladies, which biologist Mike tumer has described as a ‘practical and ethical nightmare’.
4 Zika and Microcephaly
The Zika virus has been announced a worldwide general well being emergency by the world health Organization, due to the serious threat it poses. pregnant women infected with the virus run the risk of passing it on their unborn baby. the infection is thought to taint the hatchling's mind, keeping it from fully developing. this deformity is known as microcephaly. the disease causes severe brain damage and even death, as the brain can be so underdeveloped that it cannot regulate bodily functions.
3 Guillain-barre syndrome
The zika virus has the potential to cause the life-threatening condition guillain-barre. Guillain-barre can affect anyone. the syndrome causes the immune system to attack the body, causing paralysis and even death. it begins with numbness in the hands and feet, before muscle weakness occurs. and if it spreads to the chest, the syndrome can affect breathing, leaving patients on life support. so far, hundreds of case of Guillain-barre have been liked with the zika outbreak, the symptons of which can last for years.
2 Sexually transmitted virus
In 2016 a woman in texas was infected with zika after having sexual contact with a man who’d caught the virus in Venezuela. UN foundation member alaka basu describes the virus potential of zika as being ‘parallel with the HIV, aids case’, elaborating that it’s worse in some ways, because there are two modes of transmission. the centers for disease control and prevention advise people to avoid, for six month, the semen of any man that has been exposed to the virus.
1 The future of the virus
The Zika virus is sweeping through the Americas at an alarming rate causing thousands of devastating birth defects and posing a risk to a whole generation.
It is predicted that the virus will spread over the western hemisphere this year, and is likely to spread to Asia and Africa, where the Aedes aegypti mosquito thrives. scientists also suspect that Aedes aegypti’s cousin the Aedes albopictus, could also bring zika to Europe. the fact that zika can be transmitted sexually means that it has the potential to spread to any country. with so little known about the virus and its potential to deform fetuses, the outbreak threatens to have a significant impact on a whole generation.
The Zika virus is sweeping through the Americas at an alarming rate causing thousands of devastating birth defects and posing a risk to a whole generation.
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