The Zika Virus: An Epidemic
The Zika virus is an epidemic that has quickly affected the Western world. The virus is spread through contact with mosquitos and through infected people. Symptoms of the virus mimic the flu with fever, skin rashes, muscle and joint pain, headaches, red eyes, and in rare cases Guillain-Barré syndrome (a rare condition in which your immune system attacks your nerves leading to paralysis) affecting the person with the virus. If the infected person is pregnant, the symptoms can be much more devastating. Infection during pregnancy, causes microcephaly and other brain deformations. With societies future lives at risk, is the problem solvable? Let’s explore this epidemic in more detail.
History:
The first case of the virus was accidently discovered in 1947 when scientists were researching yellow fever. The scientist placed a rhesus macaque monkey in a cage in the Zika forest. The monkey eventually developed a fever which scientist described as the Zika virus (Travelers’ Health). The first case in humans was identified in 1952 in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania (History of the Zika Virus). These cases were the first time the world was introduced to Zika, so they did not know where it came from or how to defend against it.
The initial report of an epidemic of the Zika disease was on the Island of Yap in 2007 and was described by a rash, conjunctivitis, and joint-pain (Travelers’ Health). The virus was initially confused with Dengue fever due to similar symptoms, but due to serums taken from the infected, RNA from the Zika virus was discovered (1). In this outbreak there were only 49 confirmed cases, 59 unconfirmed, and no deaths or hospitalizations (1).
During an outbreak that lasted from 2013 to 2014 in French Polynesia, Guillain-Barré, the nuerological disorder that is now linked with the virus, was first discovered (World Health Virus). In March 2015, Brazil reported cases of a disease affecting 500 people, these patients had flu-like symptoms along with rash and joint pain (1). By the end of the year, there was an increasing number of microcephaly, a head deformation. Samples were taken from newborns and mothers after being born with microcephaly, this is how the discovered Zika virus in the blood and tissue of the patients. Throughout the year of 2015, between 440,000 and 1,300,000 Zika cases were reported in Brazil, with 4,783 cases of microcephaly resulting in 79 deaths (Jorg Heukelbach et al). In healthcare authorities confirmed these cases as the Zika virus, believing it resulted from the increased flow of tourists that were visitng for the 2014 FIFA World Cup (Travelers’ Health).
Effects:
Since the major outbreak in Brazil, Zika has spread to South and Central America, the Caribbean, as well as Southern United States. In January of 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and prevention issued a level 2 travel alert for people visiting areas were Zika virus was ongoing (Zikavirusnet.com). These travel alerts are designed to inform both travelers and doctors about current health issues in certain destinations. A level 2 alert is meant for travelers to “practice enhanced precautions” (Travelers’ Health).
Examples:
In summer of 2016, I visited a country that was on the Center for Disease Control’s level 2 alert list, the Dominican Republic. Although I do not remember encountering many mosquitos, I do remember the weather being rainy and humid, a perfect environment for these insects. The day after I came home from the trip, I started to feel flu-like symptoms such as achy body and joint pain. I can not say for sure whether I had the Zika virus or not, but I did experience some of the symptoms after traveling to an infected area.
The first case of a baby to be born to a Zika-infected mother on United States soil happened In New Jersey in 2016 (Cha). The mother had been visiting Honduras and developed a rash while she was pregnant. Abdulla AL-Khan, a fetal specialist, described the mother as sad, “She is trying to cope emotionally” (1). After returning from her visit, she went to her gynecologist who said she and her baby will be find (1). Still having suspicions though, she sent a blood sample to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who found that she did have Zika.
Solutions:
As of right now, there are not any vaccines or medication to combat the Zika virus. Although there are not any cures, there are treatments and preventative measures that could be taken. Treatments include: treating the symptoms, getting plenty of rest, prevent dehydration by drinking fluids, and take acetaminophen to relieve any pain or fevers (Zika Virus). The best way to avoid receiving the Zika virus is to prevent mosquito bites, because they are the main way Zika is transmitted.
Protecting yourself from mosquito bites is important if you wish to avoid the virus. You can protect yourself by using insect repellent with either DEET, Picardian, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or 2-undecanone (Zika Virus). Wearing long sleeve shorts and pants can also help combat mosquitos. Other ways to prevent mosquito bites are using air conditioning in your household to prevent the insects from coming in and not letting puddles of water sit around because they are the breeding grounds for these insects.
Planning for traveling is another way to prevent the Zika Virus. There are currently many outbreaks in many countries around the globe, so checking travel recommendations is important. Planning your trip is also essential by first, just mentioned, checking travel reports to avoid areas with Zika outbreaks and if you do decide to visit an infected country make sure you pack insect repellant and long shirts and clothes.
Zika is not only transmitted through mosquitos, but also through sex (Zika Virus.). Zika can be passed through sex (including vaginal, anal or oral) if one of the partners is infected with the virus. There is no concrete data as to how long the virus stays in the semen and vaginal fluids of those with Zika, but it is known that the virus can last longer in semen than other body fluids which include vaginal fluids, blood, and urine. To prevent sexually transmitting the virus you can: stop having sex, using male and female condoms, not sharing sex toys, or using a dental dam. It is important to talk to your partner before having sex as well to see if they have the Zika virus.
Although there are not any medications or vaccinations at this time, there are some future solutions that may work. These include: creating a vaccine that would eradicate the virus like polio, killing mosquitos in infected areas, using technology to detect both Zika in the human system and microcephaly in pregnant women, spreading awareness to the general public.
Polio used to be a huge problem around the world because there was no way to treat or prevent it. In 1955, two vaccines were introduced that would help prevent catching polio (cdc.gov). These vaccines largely helped the epidemic, causing it to almost be eradicated from the modern world. If scientists could follow the path of polio, Zika would not be a problem anymore. This would be the best way to prevent Zika virus along with protecting yourself from contracting mosquito bites.
Humid areas as well as areas that have standing water, are more prone to mosquito outbreaks. This is why the Zika virus is such a big problem in Southern United States, the Caribbeans, and South America. There are airplanes that are in use now that spray a chemical that helps kill mosquitos. These planes are used in low quantities though. To combat Zika, these chemicals need to be used on a wider scale so that they can be more effective in killing mosquitos. This may not be the most effective plan to protect against Zika because it would be very difficult to remove every single mosquito. But, if somehow we succeeded in this, the ecosystem that mosquitos participate in would be very thrown off, creating even greater problems. Although it would not be wise to kill every mosquito, using the planes and chemicals to lower their populations would drastically lower the spread of the virus.
There is not technology in place right now to accurately detect Zika or to detect that babies in the womb are affected. If technology was introduced and used on a large scale, people would know if they had the virus which would help prevent the spread of the disease. If more people were aware they were infected, they could prevent themselves from having sex and spreading the disease through body fluids. If pregnant women knew their baby had a problem, they could take the necessary steps to treat it or just become aware so they know when their baby is born.
Spreading awareness to the general public is an important factor, if not the most important, to stop the spread of this epidemic. If the general public is aware of the virus, they can take the steps to prevent it such as protecting against mosquito bites, halting sexual activity when affected, and eventually getting the necessary vaccinations. All of these factors together, would help eradicate the Zika virus lowering the chances of the infection ever harming someone again.
Camus and Absurdity:
Camus’ beliefs that human existence is absurd can apply to the Zika virus. Camus believes that there is no point in life and that the human need to find a meaning in it is absurd (Maguire). Like Camus’, beliefs there is no point to the Zika virus; instead it is just a natural phenomenon. There is not a reason that people get sick, die, and lives become severely impacted from the virus; it just happens. Camus would find it absurd that people are trying to find solutions to combat the virus instead he would believe that we should just let the infection keep spreading. He would see it as the circle of life: we live and die.
Conclusion:
The Zika virus is an epidemic that is quickly taking over the world. It comes in the form of mosquitos and its symptoms are disguised as the flu, making it hard to detect. This paper discussed the history, examples, solutions, and absurdity of the virus. It is important that the public becomes aware of the dangers this epidemic poses to the health of the person it has affected and their possible unborn child. There are solutions to this virus that include protection from mosquitos, education, and new technologies. With these possibilities, the world will one day be free of the Zika virus.
Citations:
Cha, Ariana Eunjung. "Doctors Detail Story of Devastated Mom of First Zika-affected Baby Born in N.Y. Area."The Washington Post. WP Company, 02 June 2016. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.
Heukelbach, Jorg, Carlos Henrique Alencar, Alyson Ann Kelvin, Wanderson Kleber De Oliveira, and Luciano Pamplona De Góes Cavalcanti. "Zika Virus Outbreak in Brazil." The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.
"History and Origin of Zika Virus." History and Origin of Zika Virus. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.
Maguire, Laura. "Camus and Absurdity." Philosophy Talk. Web. 08 May 2017.
"The History of Zika Virus." World Health Organization. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.
"Travelers' Health." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 27 Mar. 2017. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.
"Zika Virus." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 01 May 2017. Web. 05 May 2017.
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