|
 The following are some questions and answers about the virus and
current outbreak:
How do people become infected?
Zika is transmitted to people through the bite of infected female
mosquitoes, primarily the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the same type that
spreads dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. The Pan American
Health Organization (PAHO) said Aedes mosquitoes are found in all
countries in the Americas except Canada and continental Chile, and
the virus will likely reach all countries and territories of the
region where Aedes mosquitoes are found.
How do you treat Zika?
There is no treatment or vaccine for Zika infection. Companies and
scientists are racing to develop a safe and effective vaccine for
Zika, but the World Health Organization (WHO) had said it would take
at least 18 months to start large-scale clinical trials of potential
preventative shots.
How dangerous is it?
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that
infection with the Zika virus in pregnant women is a cause of the
birth defect microcephaly and other severe brain abnormalities in
babies. The CDC said now that the causal relationship has been
established, several important questions must still be answered with
studies that could take years.
According to the World Health Organization, there is strong
scientific consensus that Zika can cause the birth defect
microcephaly in babies, a condition defined by unusually small heads
that can result in developmental problems. In addition, the agency
said it could cause Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological
disorder that can result in paralysis. Conclusive proof of the
damage caused by Zika may take months or years.
Brazil has confirmed 1,113 cases of microcephaly, and considers most
of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. Brazil is
investigating an additional 3,836 suspected cases of microcephaly.
Colombia has confirmed two cases of microcephaly linked to Zika.
Current research in Brazil indicates the greatest microcephaly risk
is associated with infection during the first trimester of
pregnancy, but health officials have warned an impact could be seen
in later weeks. Recent studies have shown evidence of Zika in
amniotic fluid, placenta and fetal brain tissue.
What are the symptoms of Zika infection?
People infected with Zika may have a mild fever, skin rash,
conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain and fatigue that can last for
two to seven days. But as many as 80 percent of people infected
never develop symptoms. The symptoms are similar to those of dengue
or chikungunya, which are transmitted by the same type of mosquito.
How can Zika be contained?
Efforts to control the spread of the virus focus on eliminating
mosquito breeding sites and taking precautions against mosquito
bites such as using insect repellent and mosquito nets. U.S. and
international health officials have advised pregnant women to avoid
travel to Latin American and Caribbean countries where they may be
exposed to Zika. Cases of sexual transmission have also been
reported, prompting health officials to advise use of condoms, or
abstaining from sex, to prevent infection between partners.
How widespread is the outbreak?
Active Zika outbreaks have been reported in at least 43 countries or
territories, most of them in the Americas, according to the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Brazil has been
the country most affected. (http://1.usa.gov/1ovAJyh)
Africa (1): Cape Verde
[to top of second column] |
Americas (35): Aruba, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Bonaire, Brazil,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana,
Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama,
Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines, St. Maarten, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, U.S.
Virgin Islands and Venezuela
Oceania/Pacific Islands (7): American Samoa, Fiji, Kosrae, Federated
States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, Samoa, and
Tonga.
What is the history of the Zika virus?
The Zika virus is found in tropical locales with large mosquito
populations. Outbreaks of Zika have been recorded in Africa, the
Americas, Southern Asia and the Western Pacific. The virus was first
identified in Uganda in 1947 in rhesus monkeys and was first
identified in people in 1952 in Uganda and Tanzania, according to
the WHO.
Can Zika be transmitted through sexual contact?
The World Health Organization (WHO) said sexual transmission is
"relatively common" and has advised pregnant women not to travel to
areas with ongoing outbreaks of Zika virus.
The U.S. CDC is investigating about a dozen cases of possible sexual
transmission. All cases involve possible transmission of the virus
from men to their sex partners. The WHO has also identified Zika
cases in Argentina, Chile, France, Italy and New Zealand as likely
caused by sexual transmission.
British health officials reported Zika was found in a man's semen
two months after he was infected, suggesting the virus may linger in
semen long after infection symptoms fade.
The PAHO said Zika can be transmitted through blood, but this is an
infrequent transmission mechanism. There is no evidence Zika can be
transmitted to babies through breast milk.
What other complications are associated with Zika?
Zika has also been associated with other neurological disordes,
including serious brain and spinal cord infections. The long-term
health consequences of Zika infection are unclear. Other
uncertainties surround the incubation period of the virus and how
Zika interacts with other viruses that are transmitted by
mosquitoes, such as dengue.
(Compiled by the Americas Desk)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
