What You Should Know About Zika Virus

Woke up with a mild fever, joint pain and I thought of going to see a doctor. A few meters from the hospital and a thought crossed my mind ‘’What if it’s the Zika Virus I have been reading about in the past few days”.Mmhhh nay can’t be .So what is this Zika Virus

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Zika virus is a virus transmitted by the Aedes mosquitoes and unlike the mosquitoes that spread malaria, they are mostly active during the day, so bed nets offer limited protection. These are the same mosquito that transmits yellow fever.

It was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in rhesus monkeys and identified in humans in 1947 in Nigeria. Outbreaks of Zika virus disease have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, the Pacific and Asia

On a rare move to show how serious the disease is the world Health Organization has declared the Virus as a public health emergency. The Virus has been linked with birth defects, a possible link to microcephaly a condition that causes babies to be born with unusually small heads, hence damaging the brains.  

Countries that have registered signs of the Zika virus have recommended women to delay plans of having babies as Scientists try to link the virus with Microcephaly

The first case in Europe has been confirmed in Spain after a pregnant woman returning from Colombia was diagnosed with Zika Virus

What you need to know

Deaths are rare and only one-in-five people infected is thought to develop the following symptoms

• mild fever
• conjunctivitis (red, sore eyes)
• headache
• joint pain
• a rash

No drug or vaccination treatment, just take a lot of fluid

The symptoms last 2-7 days and the only prevention as at now is protection against Mosquito bites

Cases of microcephaly have been centered in north-east Brazil, but the outbreak has affected more than 20 countries.

Article by Amina Mbuthia.