Zika is a viral disease that occurs after infection by Zika Virus (ZIKV) an arbovirus (arthropod-borne virus). The Zika Virus is from the family Flaviviridae and member of Flavivirus genus. ZIKV that mainly transmits through Aedes mosquitoes relates to yellow fever, dengue, Japanese encephalitis and West Nile.
History of the Zika Fever
A network monitoring yellow fever was the first to identify the Zika Virus was in 1947 in Uganda. They found it in monkeys best nursing paper writing service at Zika valley, but in 1952, they found it in human beings in Uganda and neighboring Tanzania. Since that discovery, there have been many records of outbreaks in Africa, Asia, The Pacific, and Americas.
The first manifestations of human beings were mild infections that health practitioners found in Africa and Asia between the 1960s and 1980s. A report first large scale outbreak of Zika fever came from the Island of Yap in 2007.
Scientists began various studies of the ZIKV, and in July 2015, a Brazilian team reported that Zika virus infection relates to Guillain Barre Syndrome. Brazil sent another report in October 2017 declaring that the discovery professional nursing essay writers is associating Zika Virus infection to microcephaly, a serious brain defect at birth. Most people with Zika Virus only get a mild, harmless infection but scientists say that it can cause an increase in health issues.
Transmission of Zika Fever
The cause of Zika Fever is the Zika, but it transmits through these ways.
- Mosquito bites
Aedes species of mosquito that live throughout the world are the primary transmitters of the Zika virus since its discovery in 1947. The virus enters into a mosquito and infects it. The mosquito spreads ZIKV to humans if it bites a person to give the virus an opportunity to enter the bloodstream.
- Mother to child transmission
Pregnant women can pass Zika Virus to their babies during gestation or birth process. Babies with Zika develop various health problems including the microcephaly a serious defect of the brain. It is the reason why centers for disease prevention recommend that pregnant women should keep off traveling to areas encountering an outbreak of Zika fever. If it is necessary to travel, a pregnant woman should seek advice from a doctor. Wearing clothes that cover all body parts, wearing insect repellant and staying at enclosed places with air conditioning or window/screen also helps in keeping off mosquitoes from binding.
- Contact with contaminated body fluids during sex or blood transfusion
Symptoms of Zika Fever
Many of the infected people up to four out of five do not show any signs or symptoms. Those who experience symptoms begin noticing them after two to seven days of a mosquito bite. For most infections, the healthcare workers and the sick notice these common signs and symptoms:
- A headache
- Bloodshot eye (conjunctivitis)
- Rash
- Mild fever
- Joint or muscle pain
Most people recover from these symptoms after about a week.
Zika Virus spreads fast thus it is essential to visit a doctor if you suspect that a member of your family or a person with whom you spend much time could be carrying the Zika virus. A medical check is also crucial after traveling to an area with an ongoing or recent outbreak.
