Zika Virus

Subject – Science and Tech

Context – Kerala declares Zika outbreak under control.

Concept –

Zika is a viral infection, It spread by Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also spreads dengue and chikungunya.
It is a contagious disease, infected people can transmit Zika sexually. The incubation period (the time from exposure to symptoms) of Zika virus disease is estimated to be 3-14 days
It was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in monkeys, Zika was detected in humans five years later.
Sporadic cases have been reported throughout the world since the 1960s, but the first outbreak happened only in 2007 in the Island of Yap in the Pacific.
A major outbreak in Brazil led to the revelation that Zika can be associated with microcephaly, a condition in which babies are born with small and underdeveloped brains.
In India, Zika virus was first recorded in 1952-53. The latest major outbreak was in 2018, when 80 cases were reported in Rajasthan.
It results involve microcephaly, especially when pregnant women are infected.
It has been reported a steep increase in Guillain-Barré syndrome — a neurological disorder that could lead to paralysis and death, according to the WHO.

The symptoms of Zika virus

Most people infected with the virus do not develop symptoms.
The symptoms are similar to those of flu, including fever body ache, headache etc.
The symptoms worsen, people should seek medical advice, the occasional rash like in dengue, while some patients also have conjunctivitis.

Treatment

Zika virus usually require rest, consumption of plenty of fluids, and common pain and fever medicines
Zika has no treatment or vaccine.