Common questions when Zika virus spread in Saigon

35 Ho Chi Minh City people are reported to have Zika disease, a baby in Dak Lak has a small head defect caused by Zika virus. Health authorities predict that the epidemic may spread in the area. Many people are planning to have a worried baby should get pregnant in the context of Zika virus outbreaks and how to ensure a smooth pregnancy to welcome babies safely without deformities.

Associate Professor Phan Trong Lan, Director of Pasteur HCM City answered common questions about Zika virus disease.

Is Zika virus after treatment completely gone or does it still exist in the body?

Disease caused by Zika virus is still being studied. Viruses are found in human blood, semen depending on gender, object, time of infection and clinical manifestations. Normal people after exposure to the virus in the blood for up to 14 days (especially in the first 7 days of initiation are susceptible to mosquitoes), in urine is 30 days and in semen for up to 6 months. Especially pregnant women with Zika virus infection do not have symptoms, the virus persists in the blood until 53 days after exposure. If symptoms are present, the virus can survive up to 62 days after onset.People infected with Zika virus with or without symptoms are at risk of infecting mosquitoes and others.

People infected with Zika virus with or without symptoms are at risk of infecting mosquitoes and others.

About 60-80% of people infected with Zika have no symptoms. About 20% of people infected with Zika have symptoms after 3 to 14 days of being infected. The disease is usually mild, outpatient treatment with common manifestations such as rash, fever (duration of fever lasts from 4 to 7 days), conjunctivitis, headache, muscle pain, joint pain.

Symptom analysis on the number of Zika patients in the southern region since the beginning of 2016 shows that 100% of patients have rash and fever, 79% have muscle pain, 45% of joint pain, 27% have other symptoms and 18% have conjunctivitis. However, the diagnosis of Zika infection is not only based on clinical manifestations but also on the epidemiological situation, test results and especially the time of exposure.

Do people who have been infected have a recurrence risk?

Everyone is at risk for Zika virus infection. According to current scientific and understanding evidence of the disease, once infected with Zika virus, there is no risk of infection again.

Men and women after being infected with Zika virus, how soon after should they give birth? Men without risk factors should go to Zika virus screening before they want to give birth?

Virus exists in semen for up to 6 months, longer than the patient's blood and urine. Therefore, from the time of manifestations of disease or exposure to Zika after at least 2 months for women, 6 months for men and when the body is out of virus, consulted by new health workers should decide on pregnant.

Virus exists in semen for up to 6 months.

The determination of Zika virus infection is based on clinical manifestations, epidemiological situation, test results and especially exposure time and there is no "gold standard" base. As soon as during the test for results, it is possible to be exposed to the disease source and infected if subjective, there is no effective preventive measure. Not to mention the current testing techniques, mainly detect Zika virus infection within 5 days in blood samples and 7 days in urine samples since the onset of disease. The most effective measure is during the above period to protect mosquito bites, especially in areas circulating dengue fever, Zika; safe sex.

Pregnant women get infected in the first 3 months without knowing it, it is late to discover that the fetus is small. What should pregnant women do then?

Pregnant women should be especially protected in the prevention of Zika virus infection because it affects the development of the fetal nervous system. Therefore, pregnant women need:

1. Strict adherence to measures to prevent mosquito bites under the guidance of the health sector.
2. If you are living in an epidemic area or have a husband / partner going to / from / in the epidemic area, abstain from safe sex or sex during pregnancy.
3. Periodic and special antenatal care must go immediately to obstetric specialty clinics / hospitals when there are signs of illness to be examined and monitored.The doctor will advise and recommend health care solutions with pregnant women depending on each specific case.

Pregnant women can not effectively protect themselves if there is no community involved in killing mosquitoes, it can help reduce the number of Zika, dengue fever and reduce the risk of spreading Zika to pregnant women.

What are the risks of babies with small head defects?

Small head is a condition in which the first round of the baby is smaller than the first round of children of the same age and gender. Small head discomfort occurs when there is one of two situations: abnormality causes the fetal brain to stop growing in the uterus; or after the first birth of the child stops growing. Small headaches can be caused by genetic factors, toxins and infections such as Zika, Rubella, CMV.

Even normal brain size during pregnancy, when the brain is not developing, is also called a small head.

Recent scientific evidence suggests that pregnant women infected with Zika virus, especially in the first 3 months of pregnancy, are at risk of congenital Zika syndrome . This is a form of structural defects and secondary damage to the central nervous system and peripheral nerves. Detected manifestations in pregnancy are small heads. There are also some manifestations of this syndrome such as cognitive, sensory and motor disabilities, not detected during pregnancy. Even normal brain size during pregnancy, when the brain is not developing, is also called a small head.

How does the baby have small head defects due to Zika like Dak Lak baby affecting physical and intellectual development? Treatment ability after birth?

Children born with small headaches often face many difficulties and challenges when they grow up. Neurological sequelae in children with microcephaly may include seizures, hearing or vision abnormalities, mental retardation and movement (such as slowness, standing, walking, decreased ability to learn) and eating difficult (like difficulty swallowing). In developed countries like the US, the cost of caring for a young child with a small head at birth to life can be up to 10 million USD, not to mention the effects on family and society.

When the effects on the fetus or infant are found, the mother has contracted the first 3 months of pregnancy, ie 6 months before birth. Therefore, the community needs to go to kill mosquitoes, slashing to cut off the main route of transmission from mosquitoes, reducing the number of Zika infections, as well as dengue in the community and reducing the chance of spreading Zika virus to pregnant women . Women who are pregnant and plan to become pregnant two months in advance do not let mosquitoes bite, as well as safe sex will protect the next generation before the risk of Zika circulating globally.

Vietnam has recorded 42 positive cases for Zika virus in Ho Chi Minh City (35 cases), Dak Lak (2), Binh Duong (2), Khanh Hoa (1), Phu Yen (1) and Long An (1) . A baby in Dak Lak was identified as having a minor head malformation due to Zika virus.