What do people know about Zika?

The fetus is particularly susceptible to malformations if the mother is infected with Zika in the first 3 months; Pregnant women need to wait at least 8 weeks to become pregnant.

Zika virus transmitted by mosquitoes was first identified in Zika Valley, Central Africa in 1947. It has now spread to Southeast and South Asia, Pacific Islands, and the Americas, endangering the fetus and Infant. On April 5, Vietnam Ministry of Health confirmed 2 cases of virus. Here are the insights about the scientific world Zika has recorded in the past, according to LiveScience.

Structure

Zika virus of single strand (RNA) belongs to family Flaviridae, Flavivirus group. This group also includes West Nile virus, dengue fever, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis. At the end of March, Purdue University (USA) announced the first image of Zika virus for the first time. The finding is thought to be helpful in developing treatments, differentiating them from related viruses and preparing vaccines.

Zika virus surface.(Photo: Purdue University).

Symptom

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for every one in five people infected with Zika will develop the disease. Common symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain, conjunctivitis; usually mild, occurs 2-7 days after being bitten, lasting from a few days to a week. Most patients have little or no signs and do not know they have the virus.

Risk

Zika rarely causes death or hospitalization but is very dangerous for the fetus or newborn. Zika is said to be involved in birth defects including small head disease, serious brain damage in children. According to Pan American Health Organization, the fetus is particularly susceptible to malformations if the mother is infected with the virus in the first 3 months. In addition, Zika can cause miscarriage. In adults, Zika leads to Guillain-Barre syndrome, a form of paralysis.

In addition to mosquitoes, Zika is transmitted through blood and sex. According to experts, it is not the women who are the men who are vulnerable to virus attack and spread the disease because the virus is live in the semen.

Zika is thought to cause small head disease in newborns, a very high risk if the pregnant woman becomes infected in the first 3 months of pregnancy.(Photo: Independent).

Treatment

Zika is usually diagnosed by a blood test . If a patient is infected with Zika, a health professional will prescribe rest to allow the body to defend itself against the virus. Besides, acetaminophen or paracetamol is used to reduce fever, relieve pain.

There are currently no vaccines or preventive and treatment drugs for Zika. WHO forecasts that some vaccines will be tested later this year, but it will take a long time before being widely used.

Prevent

To prevent Zika virus, people in countries around the world are recommended to limit outdoor activities, wear long-sleeved clothes, kill mosquitoes around the place, avoid traveling to the raging virus region.

CDC recommends that men be confirmed to have Zika, appear symptoms or are in epidemic areas should stop sex or always carry condoms for 6 months. If in the epidemic area but not infected with the virus, they are still advised to stop sex or use condoms for 8 weeks. For women, need to wait at least 8 weeks to conceive if they have been attacked by Zika.