Zika, the new global plague

Zika, the new global plague February 8, 2016

Zika is a virus that, in 80% of the cases, produces no symptoms.  But if a pregnant woman is infected, her baby might be born with microcephaly, a birth defect of the child having a very small head and consequent brain damage.  The virus is transmitted primarily by mosquitoes, though it can also be sexually transmitted and has been found in blood and saliva.  

So far the outbreak is mainly in Latin America, especially Brazil, which has gone so far as to recommend that women not get pregnant until the mosquitoes are brought under control.  This summer, though, the world comes to Brazil, with the Olympic games in Rio De Janiero.  The virus may threaten the games.)  And it is now in the United States, with 12 cases in Florida (though the patients picked up the virus elsewhere) and a sexually-transmitted case in Texas.  A case has also been confirmed in Europe

After the jump, I excerpt and link to a very useful site that gives questions and answers about the Zika virus.

From Short Answers to Hard Questions About Zika Virus – The New York Times:

The World Health Organization has declared the Zika virus an international public health emergency, prompted by growing concern that it could cause birth defects. As many as four million people could be infected by the end of the year. Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have urged pregnant women against travel to about two dozen countries, mostly in the Caribbean and Latin America, where the outbreak is growing.

The infection appears to be linked to the development of unusually small heads and brain damage in newborns. Some pregnant women who have been to these regions should be tested for the infection, the agency said. Here are some answers and advice about the outbreak.

1. What is the Zika virus?

2. How is the virus spread?

3. Can the Zika virus be sexually transmitted?

4. How might Zika cause brain damage in infants?

5. What is microcephaly?

6. What countries should pregnant women avoid?

7. How do I know if I’ve been infected? Is there a test?

8. I’m pregnant and I recently visited a country with Zika virus. What do I do?

9. I’m of childbearing age, but not pregnant and not planning to get pregnant. Should I go to an affected country?

10. I’m pregnant now, but wasn’t when I visited one of the affected countries. What’s the risk?

11. I’ve just returned from a place where Zika virus is spreading but experienced no symptoms. How long until I can be sure I can’t pass on an asymptomatic infection?

12. Does it matter when in her pregnancy a woman is infected with Zika virus?

13. Should infants be tested?

14. Is there a treatment?

15. Is there a vaccine? How should people protect themselves?

16. If Zika virus has been in Africa and Asia for decades, why wasn’t a link to microcephaly detected earlier?

17. Outside of Brazil has a Zika outbreak ever been linked to microcephaly?

[The answers to these questions are given at the link.] 

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