Zika Virus

Zika virus is known to cause an infection called Zika fever or Zika virus disease. This infection is often
characterized by no or only mild symptoms, similar to a very mild form of dengue fever.It is spread by
daytime-active Aedes mosquitoes. Its name comes from the Ziika Forest of Uganda, where the virus was
first isolated in 1947. From 2007 to 2016, the virus spread eastward, across the Pacific Ocean to the
Americas, leading to the 2015–2016 Zika virus epidemic.

Currently there are two Zika lineages: the African lineage and the Asian lineage

Diagnosis

A diagnosis of Zika virus infection can only be confirmed by laboratory tests of blood or other body
fluids, and it must be differentiated from cross-reactive related flaviviruses such as dengue virus, to
which the patient may have been exposed or previously vaccinated.

Sign and Symptoms

The most common symptoms of Zika virus are:

1. fever.

2. rash.

3. headache.

4. joint pain.

5. red eyes.

6. muscle pain.

Transmission

The vertebrate hosts of the virus were primarily monkeys in a so-called enzootic mosquito-monkey-
mosquito cycle, but after 2007, Zika started occuring in humans in a mosquito–human–mosquito cycle.

Zika is primarily spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and can also be transmitted through either sexual
contact, during pregnancy or blood transfusions
Prevention

1. Prevent mosquito bite: Prevent mosquito bites by e.g. choosing a hotel or lodging with air
conditioning or screens on windows and doors or sleeping under a mosquito bed net if you are outside
or in a room that does not have screens.

2. Protect yourself during sex: Use condoms or don’t have sex to avoid getting or spreading Zika during
sex if you or your partner has traveled to an area with risk of Zika.

3. Plan for travel: If you are pregnant, you should not travel to areas with Zika outbreaks. If you or your
partner are trying to get pregnant, talk to your doctor or other healthcare provider about your travel
plans.

Treatment

While there is no specific treatment, it is however, advised for an affected person with the zika virus, to
drink a lot of water to stay hydrated, to lie down, and to treat the fever and agony with liquid solutions;
taking drugs like acetaminophen or paracetamol helps to relieve fever and pain. As of April 2019, no
vaccines have been approved for clinical use, however a number of vaccines are currently in clinical
trials.

Reference

Zika Virus wikipidea. Available at:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zika_virus#