An Update on Zika

One of the most widely discussed stories of the summer was the progression of the infamous Zika Virus. The virus is most commonly transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes- the same species that transmits diseases such as yellow fever and dengue fever- as well as through blood transfusions, sexual contact, and from a pregnant mother to her offspring. The symptoms produced range from none at all, to the point where a person may not even be aware they have or have had the disease, to very mild, flu-like symptoms that can last up to one week.

The current breakout of Zika began in March 2015 in Brazil, and quickly spread to the surrounding tropical countries in South and Central America. Nearly all of the cases in the United States were contracted during travel; there has only been a total of 58 locally acquired cases of Zika, (as of September 28th, 2016), all of which were contracted in Florida.

Although there have been no deaths associated with the disease, and it is not necessary for most people to be tested for it, it is extremely dangerous to pregnant women, who, when infected, present the chance of passing the disease on to her unborn baby, who could face serious symptoms such as microcephaly and various other brain defects. In isolated cases, this might not be a huge issue, but when underdeveloped countries are being plagued with babies born with brain defects, this becomes a large issue. It is difficult for developing countries to have access to resources for preventing transmission and for the care of children affected, who will probably never be able to take care of themselves and require a great deal of expensive medical treatment.

The World Health Organization has stated that there is no evidence of sterilized male mosquitoes or genetically modified mosquitoes contributing to the spread of Zika. At the moment, there is no vaccine for the virus. The best way to prevent contracting it is to avoid areas in which the Aedes mosquito is located and to use mosquito repellant.