As we enter into 2016, the newest viral outbreak, the Zika virus, has been making headlines across the country and around the world due to its connection to microcephaly in infants. In truth, to call Zika a “new” virus would be a lie; it’s actually been around since 1952, but prior to 2015, it was found mainly in Africa and Southeast Asia. Although the Zika virus has been infecting people for decades, the new information that has come out linking it to microcephaly in newborns and young children has led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a global public health emergency.
The Zika virus is spread through mosquito bites, and symptoms include several days of fever, rash, joint pain, and dry, red eyes. Although its effects are somewhat mild, especially when compared to other mosquito-borne diseases, it can have very profound consequences on a pregnant mother and her fetus. Microcephaly is a condition in which a baby is born with a small head, or their head ceases growth after birth. It is typically accompanied by an underdeveloped brain, which can lead to a host of problems as the child grows up, including mental and physical disabilities.
The link between the Zika virus and microcephaly in infants came when doctors in Brazil began to see a sharp rise in the amount of infants with the condition, which directly followed the rise in Zika virus cases in the country. Although there is not a definitive link between the two, it has been enough of a concern that public health officials have warned pregnant women who are travelling to the countries where the Zika virus is actively being transmitted to take precautions.
Since there is no vaccine for the Zika virus or specialized medication to treat it once it has been contracted, it is important for expectant mothers to employ preventative methods. These include avoiding countries where the virus is being actively transmitted, wearing long sleeves, and using EPA-registered insect repellents. Additionally, it has come out that there have been a few rare cases in which the Zika virus has been transmitted through sexual contact, leading the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to suggest that pregnant women avoid having sex with partners who may have been exposed to the virus.
How does the Zika virus affect you as an American college student? Good news! The Zika virus is not being actively transmitted within the U.S., and the only reported domestic cases were contracted by people who were recently in the affected countries. Unfortunately, if you plan to go to South or Central America or the Caribbean for spring break, you will likely be putting yourself at risk for contracting the virus. Additionally, even if you’re not pregnant, the Zika virus has also been linked to a condition called Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). GBS is a disease in which a person’s own immune system damages the nerve cells, resulting in muscle weakness and paralysis. These symptoms can last for weeks to months, leaving someone incapacitated for a long period of time. Luckily, with the Zika virus and its complications on forefront of the news, more money, including the $1.8 billion in emergency funding that Obama has requested, is being funneled into research. There is hope that in time we will have a vaccine for this mysterious virus.
Image Credit: The Breaking Times, CDC, Kinja
Sources:
New York Times (This article and this article)