Zika Virus: Symptoms, Treatment,... What You Should Know?

Zika Virus - What are Zika virus Symptoms and treatment? written by: MagicFingers Zika virus is an illness causing virus in human beings which is spread to people through mosquito bites. The mosquitoes are mostly daytime active Aedes mosquitoes like the A. aegypti. The illness caused by Zika virus is called Zika, and it is mostly a mild illness. Hospitalization or death is very rare, and extreme cases just include rashes, fatigue, conjunctivitis and joint pains. The only current major concerns are that Zika virus infections have been linked with the Guillain–Barré syndrome in adults, which is a rapid onset of muscle weakness. It has also been linked to microcephaly in newborn babies, which is a neuro-developmental disorder characterized by a much smaller than normal head and cognitive and motor impairments.

The history of Zika virus

Scientists who were researching the yellow fever in 1947 in the Zika forest of Uganda collected a serum from an infected monkey with a fever and in 1952, they named the isolated virus they found, Zika virus. It was also confirmed in Nigeria in 1954, but the first outbreak of the virus outside Africa and Asia occurred in 2007. And since 2015, a large outbreak that reportedly began in Brazil, has spread throughout many countries of South and Central America, including the Caribbean. This has cause a huge media frenzy and disrupted vacation plans and the holiday industry.

Zika virus Symptoms and Treatment

Zika, the disease caused by a Zika virus infection will only develop in about 20% of persons who have been bitten by a mosquito infected by the virus. When the illness does develop, it is generally mild, and some people may not even notice that they have been infected. Symptoms, when present, include fever, headache, skin-rashes, conjunctivitis and joint pain. The symptoms usually last between a few days to one week. The presence of Zika in the bloodstream can be confirmed through a blood test.

Treatment of Zika

There is currently no medication to treat Zika, neither is there a vaccine. Although many countries, especially Brazil, are currently increasing financing for the development of Zika medication and vaccines, any reliable product is not expected before 10 years. Therefore, the only way to handle or treat a Zika disease is to: 

• - Get plenty of rest
• - Keep hydrated by drinking enough fluids
• - Relieve fever and pain with medicine such as acetaminophen. Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
• - Avoid getting bitten by a mosquito, so that you do not help in spreading the virus to others.

Pregnant women and Zika virus

Although the Zika virus has been known since 1947, it was only recently in January of 2016 that the Brazillian Ministry of health confirmed a strong relation between Zika virus and microcephaly, the neuro-developmental disorder. Since then, governments around the world have issued warnings to pregnant women, to avoid travels to countries with high infection rates of Zika. The governments of certain South American countries with high infection rates currently, have also advised their women of child bearing age to withhold from having babies for the next 6 to 24 months.

Transmission of the virus

Zika virus, apart from transmission through infected mosquitoes, has also been confirmed to be sexually transmittable. It can also cross the placenta in pregnant women, thereby affecting the fetus. Its incubation period in mosquitoes is about 10 days, and symptoms may show in a human being, 2 to 7 days after being bitten by a mosquito.

How to protect yourself from Zika virus

This article about Zika virus symptoms and treatment will not be complete without this section on how to protect yourself from the virus and the mosquitoes that carry them. First of all, if you don’t live in an area with a high rate of infection, then do not travel to a place with a high risk of infection, that’s all. But, if you find yourself in such an area, then the following tips can be of help to avoid mosquito bites:

• - Dress in clothing that cover your arms and legs. If you have kids, dress them the same way.
• - Use insect repellents to keep mosquitoes away from your skin.
• - Opt for accommodation with window and door shields that keep away mosquitoes.
• - Where necessary, sleep inside a mosquito net.