Zika Virus
Imagine coming back from your
dream vacation and two weeks later you start to feel sick. It’s a fever at
first which then leads to the flu. Your doctor tells you that you’ve been
infected with the Zika virus. Now imagine you’re pregnant, expecting your first
child and your doctors says your baby has the chances of being born deformed.
What would go through your mind? What would you do? This is the epidemic that
is happening all across the western worlds.
From a simple mosquito bite the Zika virus, within time, can infect the
whole body causing symptoms such as skin rashes, muscle and joint pain,
headaches, red eyes, and flu like symptoms with a fever. With the Zika virus
spreading through mosquitos and coming in contact with other infected people,
let’s dive into the history and look further into this epidemic.
In 1947, the Zika virus was
unintentionally discovered when yellow fever was being researched and
evaluated. Scientists caged a rhesus macaque monkey and placed it in the Zika
forest. Eventually the monkey developed a fever, which is now known to be the
Zika Virus (History of Zika Virus). The first discovery in humans was
identified the year 1952 by detecting neutralizing antibodies to Zika virus in
individuals from Uganda, and also the United Republic of Tanzania (Meštrović,
2000). These cases were recorded as the very first time Zika was introduced to
the public, so at the time it was not treatable and the virus was still
unknown. “Researchers currently believe the Zika virus is spread mainly through
mosquitos. A mosquito bites an infected person, draws blood, and contracts the
virus. When it then goes, and bites another person, the virus spreads” (Belluz,
Zarracina, Moore, 2016). Zika is an arbovirus, which is defined as a virus
being passed by insects. But just like any other disease, this wasn’t the only
way it was being spread. From observational evidence from a small study done by
scientists, “Zika can pass on the virus to others through sexual intercourse.
Zika can also be transmitted through blood, and mother-to-fetus transmission”
(Belluz, Zarracina, Moore, 2016). With all these different ways Zika was
spreading, it was just a matter of time before this became an epidemic all across
the world.
The first major outbreak of the
Zika virus was in 2007 on the island of Yap. It started with a rash, joint
pain, and conjunctives. Because of the same symptoms held in Zika, this was
first mixed up with the Dengue fever, but after tests were taken from the ones
infected the Zika virus was discovered and in full effect (History of Zika
virus). In 2009, where Massachusetts Medical students did a study over the
virus outbreak on Yap Island, Federal States of Micronesia. The result of this
outbreak resulted in “49 confirmed and 59 probable cases of Zika virus virus
disease. The patients resided in 9 of the 10 municipalities on Yap. Rash,
fever, arthralgia, and conjunctivitis were common symptoms. No
hospitalizations, hemorrhagic manifestations, or deaths due to Zika virus were
reported. We estimated that 73% (95% confidence interval, 68 to 77) of Yap
residents 3 years of age or older had been recently infected with Zika virus.
(Zika virus outbreak on Yap Island, Federated States of Micronesia). Overall,
with this being one of the first cases of Zika, it was still a possibility that
it could just be mistaken as yellow fever or any treatable virus already known.
Zika virus also broke out the
year 2015 when it was estimated that half a million to 1.5 million infections
were recorded in Brazil (Belluz, Zarracina, Moore, 2016). Dr. Vasconcelos, a
director of the World Health Organization, took a closer look to what’s really
going on. After this outbreak, it was to be proven that more and more newborns
in Brazil were born with microcephaly. This is a congenital condition that
results in a small head and an incomplete brain development (Belluz, Zarracina,
Moore, 2016). Although Brazil does normally have a few cases of microcephaly,
since the outbreak in 2015, health officials have reported more than 3,500
cases. This resulted in the Zika virus being a very known and common disease to
spread. Which,
“until
recently, Zika was considered a very rare and seemingly benign virus” (Belluz,
Zarracina, Moore, 2016).
Solutions
With no current medications or
vaccinations available to help cure the Zika virus, there are preventative
measures that can be followed. According to the “Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention website,” Scientists conclude that solutions and preventions for
Zika are reducing mosquito bites, wearing lighter colors, having protected sex,
planning for travel, creating a prevention kit, and much more (“Zika Virus”) Some
of these measures include a simple change in your daily routine. These can all
certainly be done to prevent Zika from spreading more.
Mosquitos are very populated in a
lot of western world countries. While they are the number 1 reason as to why
Zika is such an epidemic, diminishing or lowering this risk could make the
world of a difference. In order to do this, many things can take place. Always “Protect
yourself and your family from mosquito bites” (“Zika Virus”) Use insect
repellent at all times when going outside. “Use Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA)-registered insect repellents with one of the active ingredients
following: EETS, Picaridin, IR3535, OLE, PMD, 2-undecanone. When these types
are used as directed, EPA-registered insect repellents are proven safe and
effective, even for pregnant and breastfeeding women.” (“Zika Virus”) Always
protect your children from mosquito bites. “Dress your child in clothing that
covers arms and legs” and at night or when going out “cover crib, stroller, and
baby carrier with
a mosquito netting” (“Zika Virus”) Preventing mosquitos from entering your home
is also just as important then preventing them when outside. When inside the
comfort of your home, “Use screens on windows and doors. Repair holes in screens
to keep mosquitoes outside, use air conditioning when available, sleep under a
mosquito bed net if air conditioned or screened rooms are not available or if
sleeping outdoors, and once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw
out items that hold water, such as tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools,
birdbaths, flowerpots, or trash containers. Check inside and outside your home.
Mosquitoes lay eggs near water.” (“Zika Virus”) Using these simple steps can
get you one step closer to being Zika-free!
Traveling. whether it be for a
vacation, to visit family, for a honeymoon, studying abroad, whatever the case
may be, it is always important to be aware of your surroundings and the places
you’re going. Many countries have their own kind of problems that they face
every day. Many of these countries have Zika. So, it’s important to always plan
for travel. “Currently, outbreaks are occurring in many countries and
territories” (“Zika Virus”) So, what can we do? There’s lots of things to
consider and actions that can be taken for before, during, and after your trip.
Before your trip, “Check travel recommendations, and plan for travel” (“Zika
Virus”) “If you are pregnant, do not travel to areas with risk of Zika. If you
or your partner are trying to get pregnant, consider avoiding nonessential
travel to areas with a CDC Zika travel notice. Talk to your doctor or other
healthcare provider about your travel plans” (“Zika Virus”) During the trip,
“protect yourself from mosquito bites and keep mosquitos outside” (“Zika Virus”).
After your trip, “protect yourself during sex” (“Zika Virus”) Always do your
research when traveling because this is when the zika virus is most effective.
“Always protect yourself during
sex” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists say. As any
other virus or disease that can be transmitted through sexual activity, so can
Zika. “Infected people can pass Zika through sex even when they don’t have symptoms”
(“Zika Virus”) “Studies are underway to find out how long Zika stays in the
semen and vaginal fluids of people who have Zika, and how long it can be passed
to sex partners. We know that Zika can remain in semen longer than in other
body fluids, including vaginal fluids, urine, and blood.” (“Zika Virus”) So, in
order to prevent this from being another reason as to why Zika is such an
epidemic, many solutions can be made. “Not having sex can eliminate the risk of
getting Zika, Condoms can reduce the chance of getting Zika from sex, but to be
effective, condoms should be used from start to finish, every time during
vaginal, anal, and oral sex and the sharing of sex toys, and last Dental dams
(latex or polyurethane sheets) may also be used for certain types of oral sex
(mouth to vagina or mouth to anus).” (“Zika Virus”)
Camus and Absurdity
The zika virus does in fact relate
to Camus and his beliefs. From research long ago, when “Zika” became a thing.
There is no actual explanation as to why this all came up because it does have
the exact same symptoms of the flu, one really knows if it is really Zika or
just a worse flu
and
it was just named Zika because that’s where it was found, in the Zika forest.
So, Camus would agree on the absurdity on this entire epidemic.
Conclusion
With all of the effects Zika can
bring to a person, it is important to get more people aware of this epidemic
happening all over the western worlds. It is more than just a flu, and the
risks it has of women needs to be heard before it’s too late. People need to be
educated on this epidemic, and with no vaccines or treatments available right
now, it is even more important to tell the world so they are as aware. With
everything happening in our world, we can all come together and be aware so
another mosquito-borne virus will no longer be in effect and we can help other
countries little by little.
Work
Cited
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M. R., T. H. Chen, W. T. Hancock, A. M. Powers, J. L. Kool, R. S. Lanciotti, M.
Pretrick, M. Marfel, S. Holzbauer, C. Dubray, L. Guillaumot, A. Griggs, M. Bel,
A. J. Lambert, J. Laven, O. Kosoy, A. Panella, B. J. Biggerstaff, M. Fischer,
and E. B. Hayes. "Zika Virus Outbreak on Yap Island, Federated States of
Micronesia." The New England Journal of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 11 June 2009. Web.
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Julia Belluz,
Javier Zarracina, and Matt Moore. "Zika Virus, Explained in 6 Charts and
Maps." Vox. Vox, 20 Jan. 2016. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.
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Dr Tomislav Meštrović MD. "Zika Virus History." News-Medical.net. N.p., 17 Mar. 2016. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.
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History of Zika Virus." World
Health Organization. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.
"Zika
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Web. 05 May 2017.
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