Zika virus transmission. Imagine courtesy of World Health Organization (WHO).
In April 2015, an epidemic of the Zika virus disease took Brazil by storm , quickly spreading through South America and parts of North America. The disease was relatively unknown but it was associated with causing microcephaly, a brain defect where a baby’s head is significantly smaller than normal in fetuses of pregnant women with the Zika virus. As time passed with nearing proximity to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the possibility of contracting the disease caused so much concern that many athletes withdrew from competition.
But the Zika virus is not new.
It was first discovered in 1947 in monkeys of the Zika Forest in Uganda. Since then, there have been small outbreaks in the equatorial Africa and Asia. Unfortunately, due to the mild symptoms of the disease and it’s similarities to dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya, it was often overlooked and underreported until its recent outbreak.
The virus is mainly spread by mosquitoes of the Aedes genus common, namely A. aegypti and A. albopictus. Transmission to a fetus during pregnancy increases the risk of many birth defects such as microcephaly in the newborn child. If that doesn’t sound scary enough, it can also be spread from sexual activity and blood transfusions!
Microcephaly in newborn infants as a result of the Zika virus. Image courtesy of the Boston’s Children’s Hospital.
So what are the symptoms? Infections from the Zika virus will only display mild symptoms at most, including fever, rash, joint pain, pinkeye (conjunctivitis), muscle pain and headache. Symptoms typically subside after a week. Travellers and pregnant women who have recently visited affected areas should be tested for the disease.
The Zika virus is no longer an epidemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) as of November 2016 and it seems like something of the past. But why should we still be concerned about it?
Sadly, just because it is no longer an epidemic doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be worried. Right now there is no cure for the Zika virus. Vaccines are being developed as we speak, but they probably won’t be available for another 10 years. For now all we can do is take precautions against mosquito bites and avoid travelling to places affected by Zika, especially if you are pregnant.
The problems Zika poses are far from solved. The Zika virus outbreak highlights the just one of the detrimental effects that poor sanitation has on our population. If we don’t solve the problem of managing mosquito populations and inventing new vaccines, we will have persisting human vulnerabilities to mosquito-spread diseases. We will always be at risk of infection to a disease we haven’t cured.
In the meantime, be mindful of your travel plans and check out this video on the Zika virus!
- Florence Ng
