Zika Virus: Symptoms, Treatment,… What You Should Know?
Healthy
Zika Virus –
What are Zika virus Symptoms and treatment? written by: MagicFingers Zika virus
is an illness causing virus in human beings which is spread to people through
mosquito bites. The mosquitoes are mostly daytime active Aedes mosquitoes like
the A. aegypti. The illness caused by Zika virus is called Zika, and it is
mostly a mild illness. Hospitalization or death is very rare, and extreme cases
just include rashes, fatigue, conjunctivitis and joint pains. The only current
major concerns are that Zika virus infections have been linked with the
Guillain–Barré syndrome in adults, which is a rapid onset of muscle weakness.
It has also been linked to microcephaly in newborn babies, which is a
neuro-developmental disorder characterized by a much smaller than normal head
and cognitive and motor impairments.
The history of Zika virus
Scientists who were researching the yellow fever
in 1947 in the Zika forest of Uganda collected a serum from an infected monkey
with a fever and in 1952, they named the isolated virus they found, Zika virus.
It was also confirmed in Nigeria in 1954, but the first outbreak of the virus
outside Africa and Asia occurred in 2007. And since 2015, a large outbreak that
reportedly began in Brazil, has spread throughout many countries of South and
Central America, including the Caribbean. This has cause a huge media frenzy
and disrupted vacation plans and the holiday industry.
Zika virus Symptoms and
Treatment
Zika, the disease caused by a Zika virus
infection will only develop in about 20% of persons who have been bitten by a
mosquito infected by the virus. When the illness does develop, it is generally
mild, and some people may not even notice that they have been infected.
Symptoms, when present, include fever, headache, skin-rashes, conjunctivitis
and joint pain. The symptoms usually last between a few days to one week. The
presence of Zika in the bloodstream can be confirmed through a blood test.
Treatment of Zika
There is currently no medication to treat Zika,
neither is there a vaccine. Although many countries, especially Brazil, are
currently increasing financing for the development of Zika medication and
vaccines, any reliable product is not expected before 10 years. Therefore, the
only way to handle or treat a Zika disease is to:
§ – Get plenty of rest
§ – Keep
hydrated by drinking enough fluids
§ – Relieve
fever and pain with medicine such as acetaminophen. Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen
and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
§ – Avoid
getting bitten by a mosquito, so that you do not help in spreading the virus to
others.
Pregnant
women and Zika virus
Although the Zika virus has been known since
1947, it was only recently in January of 2016 that the Brazillian Ministry of
health confirmed a strong relation between Zika virus and microcephaly, the
neuro-developmental disorder. Since then, governments around the world have
issued warnings to pregnant women, to avoid travelling to countries with high
infection rates of Zika. The governments of certain South American countries
with high infection rates currently, have also advised their women of child
bearing age to withhold from having babies for the next 6 to 24 months.
Transmission of the virus
Zika virus, apart from transmission through
infected mosquitoes, has also been confirmed to be sexually transmittable. It
can also cross the placenta in pregnant women, thereby affecting the fetus. Its
incubation period in mosquitoes is about 10 days, and symptoms may show in a
human being, 2 to 7 days after being bitten by a mosquito.
How to protect yourself from
Zika virus
This article about Zika virus symptoms and
treatment will not be complete without this section on how to protect yourself
from the virus and the mosquitoes that carry them. First of all, if you don’t
live in an area with a high rate of infection, then do not travel to a place
with a high risk of infection, that’s all. But, if you find yourself in such an
area, then the following tips can be of help to avoid mosquito bites:
§ – Dress
in clothing that cover your arms and legs. If you have kids, dress them the
same way.
§ – Use
insect repellents to keep mosquitoes away from your skin.
§ – Opt for
accommodation with window and door shields that keep away mosquitoes.
§ – Where
necessary, sleep inside a mosquito net.
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