For the past few days, amid all other news, one that is getting everyone’s attention and instilling fear within them is Zika virus. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an outbreak of the virus is affecting large parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, and may spread to all countries in the Americas. Based on the proportion it is spreading, the WHO has announced Zika as a public health emergency. The possibility of these coming to Bangladesh still looks a bit implacable, however, since Zika resembles dengue, which is quite prevalent in our country, it is still wise to gather proper knowledge about the virus.
The virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947 and was unknown in the Americas until 2014. The disease is usually relatively mild but Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the regional arm of the WHO, says, it may be linked to cases of brain damage in newborn babies in Brazil.
The Zika virus spreads through the bite of an infected mosquito, the same mosquito that transmits dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. There is no vaccine for Zika. However, recent developments in Dallas and Texas in USA reveals that, Zika is now being spread through sexual contamination as well, which makes this even more deadlier than dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. This virus is usually relatively mild, with symptoms such as skin rash, fever, muscle and joint pain, lasting up to seven days. It is uncommon for people infected with Zika to seek hospitalisation.
“In the Americas, there is no evidence that the Zika virus can cause death,” PAHO says, “but sporadic cases have been reported of more serious complications in people with preexisting diseases or conditions, causing death.” According to WHO, there is growing evidence that links Zika to microcephaly, a neurological disorder in which babies are born with smaller-than-normal heads and brains. However, information about the possible transmission of Zika from infected mothers to babies during pregnancy or childbirth is "very rare” – according to the PAHO. One in four people infected with Zika develop symptoms and many cases of Zika go undetected, making it difficult to estimate the true scale of the outbreak in the Americas. PAHO says there are no reliable estimates of the number of cases in the region. Based on reports from affected countries, PAHO estimates there are at least 60,000 suspected cases, though the real figure is anticipated to increase.
