Zika Virus

      The Zika virus is a virus commonly known to cause brain development issues in newborns. Before it was known to affect babies, the Zika virus spread through contact between mosquitoes and monkeys.

      It originated in the Zika forest in Uganda in 1946 and 1947, but was only present in countries between Africa and Asia for a long time. Zika is believed to have initially infected humans due to an invasion of mosquitos in surrounding areas where people lived. More recently, Zika has spread to other countries outside of that region, including South and Latin American countries and the United States, due to an increase in travelling and trading in those countries.

 

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                Zika virus starts out as a minor infection in the body that involves symptoms that last from two to seven days! Symptoms can include fever, rashes, joint and muscle pains, and headaches. Although there is no current vaccine to prevent the virus, Zika symptoms can still be treated. Doctors suggest staying rested, staying hydrated with healthy fluids, and taking anti inflammatory medicines. About 1/5 of the people who contract Zika infection end up becoming sick with the actual virus. Scientists have begun to develop a vaccine for Zika, but a vaccine will take at least two years to create, and another ten to twelve years on top of that for the vaccine to be approved for public use.

       Zika is currently affecting more people than it has previously on record. In 2016, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requested that a pregnant woman, planning on travelling to a country that carries Zika Virus, postpone her trip until a later date to reduce the chances of her developing Zika. Some of the countries with a larger presence of Zika even asked women to postpone becoming pregnant altogether until Zika is under more control.

sources:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/02/10/cdc-confirms-link-between-zika-microcephaly-brazilian-babies-who-died/80179898/


http://emergency.cdc.gov/han/han00385.asp