5 basic knowledge everyone should know about Zika virus

Zika virus transmitted by mosquitoes is now becoming a global threat when the speed of transmission of this virus is fast. More dangerous, recently, scientists have officially confirmed the connection between Zika and the serious neurological disorder in newly born children.

Margaret Chan - World Health Organization Director-General WHO called this an "extraordinary event" in the public health emergency declaration.

The current Zika virus has been confirmed to be present in 34 countries and territories . WHO estimates that between 3 and 4 million Americans are infected with the virus over the next 12 months. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Center warns pregnant women not to travel to these countries and that local health authorities need to provide Advice to avoid pregnancy within the next 2 years to prevent infection risks.

Zika virus is the cause of microcephaly in children

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in a recent speech also confirmed that "If this mosquito continues to breed, we will fail in the battle to destroy them. We must act before it's too late." .

According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, "this is a pandemic in progress. "It's not simply spreading and then sinking, it's getting worse every day."

Here are 5 basic knowledge that each of us needs to know about this extremely dangerous virus to better understand the global efforts being made every day to destroy them.

1. What is Zika virus and why is it serious?

Zika virus belongs to the flavivirus family, very close to the virus causing yellow fever, dengue fever, chikungunya and West Nile virus causing encephalitis. However, unlike these viruses, there is currently no vaccine to prevent Zika as well as no specific medicine to treat after infection .

Aedes aegypti mosquito

Zika became a top concern after researchers found that the virus is the cause of neurological disorders, making babies born with small heads and in the long run, it will Serious impact on children's development, if unfortunate, children will not live long.

Since October 2015, Brazil has confirmed that there are 508 cases of babies born with small head defects, compared with 2014, 146 cases. At least 17 cases are verified to be related to Zika virus. In 27 babies who die from this condition, there are at least 5 cases of Zika infection. In addition, 70 deaths have not been confirmed and authorities are continuing to investigate 3,935 suspected cases of infection.

In addition to Latin America, some other countries have also appeared. Colombia announced that more than 6,000 pregnant women were tested positive for the virus. While in the United States, a child in Hawaii was born with a small head problem caused by Zika virus after the mother returned from Brazil.

A woman is confirmed infected with Zika virus

Medical organizations are looking for a few cases of first trimester miscarriage among women who have traveled to infected and diseased areas. However, it is not yet clear whether Zika is an abortifacient.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CD is asking gynecologists to review the results of fetal and laboratory tests for pregnant women who have moved through one of more than 30 country where Zika is present.

The agency also recommends that health care providers should suggest testing for viral infections among pregnant women who have moved to these countries within one to two weeks after returning home. .

For people who have been infected with the virus, symptoms may include fever, headache, rash and possibly pinkeye. In fact, 80% of cases do not know they have it. That is really a concern for pregnant women because this virus has been proven to be transmitted through amniotic fluid.

"What we know today," said Dr. Lyle Petersen, director of the CDC, "is that a fetus can be infected with a virus. This is not new to infectious diseases but new to the virus. Zika " . Dr. Fauci also agrees that "This is a very noticeable and unusual situation, because other viruses do not appear at all, including dengue fever, West Nile or Chikungunya".

2. How is Zika virus spread?

Zika virus spreads mainly to humans through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti . These mosquitoes often lay eggs near water containers such as buckets, pots, food dishes of pets, pots or flowerpot. They are daytime mosquito mosquitoes.

Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae

In early February, the CDC announced the first case of Zika virus infection in a US locality during this pandemic, but it was not transmitted by mosquitoes but transmitted through sexual contact.

Currently, federal and state health officials are investigating the possible range of sexually transmitted infections of this virus, some of which are pregnant women. This means that sex drive is more likely to spread than the previous view, CDC said.

Director Tom Frieden in an interview with Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN shared that "There have been some isolated cases spread through blood or sex and this is not surprising. Viruses stay in the blood for about a week. How long they stay in semen is the thing to study and we are still continuing our work. "

Previously, only 3 cases were recorded to link Zika virus with sex. During the 2013 outbreak in French Polynesia, semen and urine samples from a 44-year-old Tahiti man were tested positive for Zika even if the blood sample did not produce such results. A second case in the United States in 2014 detected a large amount of Zika virus in semen up to 61 days after the onset of the disease. In fact, the virus level is much greater than the first samples tested.

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes breed very quickly

However, the CDC said there has been no report of Zika transmission from infected women to their sexual partners. In addition, some cases have reported the transmission of labor, blood transfusions and laboratory contact. While Zika has been found in breast milk, there has not been a confirmation that it can be passed on to the child during the feeding process.

The FDA has come up with measures to protect the US blood supply by asking individuals who have just returned from areas where blood donation has been postponed for about 4 weeks. If there are symptoms of infection, they will be retained. Canadian blood services and the Red Cross also made similar recommendations.

3. The countries now have Zika virus

According to reports of CDC and WHO, Zika virus has now appeared in the following countries: Aruba, Barbados, Bolivia, Bonaire, Brazil, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Martin, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, USA, Virgin Islands, Venezuela, American Samoa, Samoa, Tonga and Cape Verde.

4. Self-prevention measures against the risk of Zika virus infection

While there has never been a preventive vaccine and a cure, the only way not to get Zika is not to move to countries where the disease is present. If traveling to these countries, the CDC requires each person to strictly follow the protection measures, including the use of mosquito repellents approved by EPA instead of sunscreen, long pants and long-sleeved shirts to prevent mosquitoes from biting, using air conditioning or screen / window screens to prevent mosquitoes from entering the house . If you are infected with Zika, you can prevent its spread by not to be bitten by mosquitoes within the first 4 weeks.

Prevention of infection with Zika virus

For women of childbearing age, CDC recommends "an unintended strategy to prevent pregnancy including family planning advice, proper and consistent use of effective contraceptive methods in The context of potential risks of Zika virus is very complicated. "

CDC also called on local health officials to make recommendations for pregnant women with or without symptoms of viral infections that need routine testing.

5. Solution to prevent Zika virus outbreak?

Researchers are still trying to create a vaccine to prevent Zika virus. A clinical trial may begin this year and take at least 18 months until large-scale clinical trials are conducted.

Health officials are implementing traditional mosquito control techniques such as spraying pesticides and cleaning water bottles where mosquitoes breed. The CDC encourages families or visitors to Zika countries that need to throw away the bottles of water they have seen, avoiding them close to where they live.

Experts also emphasized that it is almost a bit effective because it is difficult to know all the areas where they breed. Aedes aegypti has evolved to live near humans and can be replicated even from flower vases. So, according to Foy, Colorado microbiologist, mosquitoes are difficult to find and destroy.

Another prevention effort is the OX531A - a genetically modified mosquito, named by critics as "Mutant Mosquito" or "Robo-Frankenstein Mosquito". OX513A when mating with Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes will produce F1 litters before maturity and because female mosquitoes only mate once, in theory, this will slow down the production of their numbers. However, there are still many questions and contradictions behind the effectiveness of this solution, making efforts to prevent Zika virus becoming more difficult than before.