Zika Virus
ZIKA VIRUS
We’ve been hearing it all over the news and online articles, and what we have been seeing is that it causes babies head to shrink. Before I go in depth, we need to know where it originated from.
THE HISTORY
Before it spreaded in the land in the western Hemisphere and cause an outbreak in Brazil, a forest called Zika had many of these mosquitoes that transmitted this virus, monkeys also carried these disease since they could be victims to mosquitoes. It was found as late as 1947 discovered by scientists and was very common in Africa and Asia. Originally the scientist were researching for a disease called yellow fever until they discovered the zika virus. The virus of the disease were common and/or related to the dengue fever.
VOCAB
- Pathogen
- Microcephaly
- PKU (Phenylketonuria)
WHAT IS ZIKA VIRUS?
Think of it as like the new STD and virus but without any known symptoms. You or your partner could be infected without knowing and if you are pregnant, your baby could develop a small head which is called microcephaly which cause long term effects. It will be heartbreaking for future family holder's, choosing whether or not to dispose of newborn infant. It shares similar traits to the PKU disease (Phenylketonuria) and can cause seizures to your child. It’s a mosquito/animal transmitting disease can cause mental problems only to newborn babies when developing a child because it is carried by the blood in our body.
Why is this such a problem? Well if a mosquito that is a carrier infects you and another mosquito bites an infected person, that mosquito that bit you can now travel it on to newer mosquitoes or other people which can be spread worldwide. This is how outbreaks start and people who are infected and sexually transmit it to others without knowing because of its chances of no symptoms.
SYMPTOMS
There doesn’t need to be any symptoms to detect this virus, but some can include...
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Headaches
- Rashes
- Vomiting
- Chills
- Sweating
- Certain area pain
TREATMENTS
Luckily for the human body, this is the easiest virus our body can resist. Avoid exposure from mosquitos near ponds, shaded areas, or black trashcan during a rainy day. It’s pathogen is only spread by bites from mosquitoes and some animals. And as for treatments to struggle against the virus include well resting, staying hydrated, and medication: pain and fever relief. It can take about a week (or more) for the virus to not be carried to mosquitos and other human beings (sexaully).
But if you do plan on having sex and ignore the consequences, by all means wear a condom to not transmit it to others
MY OPINION
Another new outbreak that has rapidly been spread thanks to the media, much like the ebola outbreak and racism/stereotype that began to start associated with it. But is it a thing we should really worry about? No. If you would want the world to be a better place, don’t spread pathogens or traits otherwise the world is going to end like it is today with people wearing glasses for poor eyesights. This disease is self curing and you shouldn’t make societies job harder by having more special people we have to worry about, especially their future and likelihood it will further spread. Also if you do have zika virus, don’t allow any mosquitos to bite you otherwise they can spread the virus.
Sources
"Symptoms, Diagnosis, & Treatment." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 01 June 2015. Web. 01 Mar. 2016. <http://www.cdc.gov/zika/symptoms/>.
Mcneil, Donald G., Catherine Saint Louis, and Nicholas St. "Short Answers to Hard Questions About Zika Virus." The New York Times. The New York Times, 24 Feb. 2016. Web. 01 Mar. 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/health/what-is-zika-virus.html>.
Hornak, Leo. "Uganda's Zika Forest, Where the Virus Was First Discovered." Public Radio International. Public Radio International, 01 Feb. 2016. Web. 01 Mar. 2016. <http://www.pri.org/stories/2016-02-01/ugandas-zika-forest-where-virus-was-first-discovered>.
"PKU News | News & Information on Phenylketonuria." PKU News. National PKU News. Web. 01 Mar. 2016. <https://pkunews.org/>.
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