Zika Virus by Avery Millican-Bowers

You step outside and you hear a buzzing noise in your ear. You take your hand to swat whatever that annoying noise was away, but it pops back in your ear again. The next thing you know you find yourself slapping the back of your arm as hard as you can and soon have come to the realization that it is a mosquito. Many people think nothing of mosquito bites, but recently there has been a re-discovery of a virus carried by mosquitoes call the Zika Virus. “In 2017 there were 424 symptomatic Zika Virus cases in the United States (“Zika virus: Down, but not out”). The symptoms included fever, rash, headache, joint pain, conjunctivitis and muscle pain. These symptoms can last from days to a week. Researchers say that the virus is only carried and transmitted by mosquitoes, “It is possible for the virus to cause a problem in the warmer regions of the United States” (Sifferlin). Is there anything that can prevent this epidemic from reoccurring now and in the future?

 History

The Zika virus was first isolated in Uganda in 1947 within a small enclave called the Zika Forest near a shore where researchers from the Rockefeller Foundation were studying the yellow fever (Quammen). According to researchers, “The earliest known victim to the Zika Virus was a rhesus monkey who was a bait for mosquitoes with the yellow fever” (1). Instead of the yellow fever, the blood of the monkey created the Zika Virus infection. This virus had never been seen before but probably lurked chronically in African monkeys (1). The same virus that was in the African monkeys turned up in the same forest, and also in mosquitoes. Those mosquitoes are considered to be vectors of the Zika Virus, because they transmit it through a bite. The virus ended up affecting people too, from parts of Africa all the way into Asia.

            Before 2015, the last case of the Zika Virus was about nine years ago (Quammen). In 2015, the Zika Virus appeared in a new location, northeastern Brazil. Worse news came in October when a report of microcephaly (smallness of head, due to incomplete brain development) of infants were born to mothers in the northeastern countries of South America (1). Fluids surrounding the fetus from those mothers were contained evidence from the Zika Virus, but was not proved to be a link between the Zika Virus and microcephaly (1). The World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) both released in 2015 statements stating, “the Zika Virus is a public health emergency”.

Examples

The good thing about the Zika Virus is that it’s symptoms usually last from a few days to about a week. Many people who have been effected by the virus have experienced the same mild symptoms. The symptoms of the virus consist of fever, rash, headache, joint pain, conjunctivitis (redness in eyes) and muscle pain (CDC). If you have experienced some of these symptoms, how would you know if you have attracted the Zika Virus:

According to the CDC, it passed through body fluids from an individual without them knowing. Six days after the death of a patient who attracted the virus, subjective fever, rash, and conjunctivitis developed in a 38-year-old man who was a family contact. The thirty-eight-year-old male had not traveled to an area with ongoing Zika virus transmission, had not had sexual contact with a person who recently traveled to such an area, and had not received a blood transfusion or organ transplant. However, the male did have contact with the deceased patient during his period of viremia. The patient also visited the 2 residences of the deceased patient after his death, suggesting possible vector transmission from mosquitoes, which have been previously identified in Utah. (Krow-Lucal)

On November 15, 2017 Selena Simmons-Duffin sat down with Yaritza Martinez, the mother of a child who was born infected with the Zika Virus:

Last spring, Martinez had no idea that this is how her pregnancy would turn out. When she was 12 weeks pregnant with her son, she flew from her home in Takoma Park, Maryland, to the Dominican Republic to take her mom to an immigration appointment. Zika has been a big risk there, and when she got back, she felt sick. She was referred to the Congenital Zika Program at Children's, which is a regional hub for Zika treatment. Martinez was put into a study that monitored her baby's brain as it developed using MRIs of her pregnant belly. Dr. Roberta DeBiasi, the director of the Zika program at Children's, says that, “If a baby makes it through the first year without microcephaly, it's unlikely that any serious brain issues will show up.” Mulkey's study, which included Yaritza’s son Yariel, is following a group of babies in the U.S. and in Colombia, where Zika is much more prevalent, through their first year. (Duffin)

Selena Simmons-Duffin states that, “What we don't know is, will they have subtler things? Is there autism? Are there learning disabilities or subtle hearing things? That we have to wait and find out” (DeBiasi). Solutions

Although this virus has been around for many years, it is just now starting to make its impact on the world. According to the CDC, as of April 5, 2018, there have only been 14 cases of the Zika Virus reported in the United States. (CDC) Last year there was a total of 432 cases of the virus reported with 419 of those cases coming from travelers that have been in the affected areas. (CDC) Florida being the top area affected, followed by New York, then California and Texas tied for third. Affected areas outside of the United States with Zika Virus cases reported was Puerto Rico with 607 cases reported in 2017. (CDC) As of April 5, 2018 there are 15 Zika Virus cases reported in Puerto Rico. (CDC)

According to Science Daily, “A medication used to treat malaria may also be effective for the Zika Virus.” (Sanford-Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute) The drug, called chloroquine, has a long history of safe use during pregnancy, and is relatively inexpensive. (1)

An article from the Lancet was published explaining the results of two Zika Virus vaccines that were tested on several people from the US. There were 125 people who were tested with both vaccines. (Khattar) Eighty people were tested with the first vaccine and twenty-five were tested with the second vaccine. (1) “Overall testing indicated that both Zika virus vaccine candidates were relatively well-tolerated. Most post-injection body reactions were mild. The antibody response within patients ranged from 60 to 89% indicating that the approach was successful in triggering adequate antibodies when injected into the subjects” (Khattar). There is still no treatment for the Zika Virus that has been developed.

Absurdity

            There is nothing absurd about the Zika Virus. A chief director from the World Health Organization by the name of Dr. Margaret Chan believes that the spread of Zika Virus was our own fault. She says the birth defect in babies is because of us. She blames the Obama Health Care organization for not funding to provide research and vaccines to be able to effectively cure the virus if contracted by a person. She also says the Zika Virus numbers are going to be way up this summer. Chan says that “the U.S. and the WHO have failed to properly act quickly enough when disease does break out.” This virus does not have any myths or beliefs about that way it has affected society. Nobody has really questioned anything about this virus or the possible outbreak it could have on the world.

Conclusion

            The Zika Virus dates all the back to 1947, but has slowly made its way into the headlines of the news. This virus has no cure at the moment but some vaccines are still in the works of researchers and doctors. This virus is currently considered to be one of the biggest outbreaks this summer and has caught the attention of many people. This means that society could be due to another epidemic very soon.

Works Cited

Sifferlin, Alexandra. “Why So Many Diseases, Like Zika Virus, Come From Mosquitoes”. http://time.com/4177122/mosquitoes-diseases-zika-virus/

 Zika Virus: Down, but Not Out.” Healio, www.healio.com/infectious-disease/emerging-diseases/news/print/infectious-disease-news/%7Bc96ec6ce-2074-44ac-b4c8-2a529bd4891d%7D/zika-virus-down-but-not-out.

Sanford-Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute. “Anti-malaria drug shows promise as Zika virus treatment.” https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171117085105.htm

Khattar, Vinayak. “Zika Virus Vaccines: Phase I Trials Offer Promising Results.” https://www.medicalnewsbulletin.com/zika-virus-vaccines-phase