Top 5 things about Zika disease

                                           There is no known cure for the virus
There is a new disease in town called Zika virus,  scientists have warned that an outbreak is imminent.

Here are some very important things you must know about the Zika disease.

1. First discovered in monkey

The disease was first discovered in 1947, when scientist were carrying out a research in the Zika forest. It was first isolated from the serum of monkey and in 1952 it was described as Zika virus. In 1954, the transmissible agent was also isolated from a Nigerian.

2. Widespread

The disease became pandemic in South America, spreading from Africa to Asia. It spread eastward across the Pacific Ocean to French Polynesia, then to Easter Island and in 2015 to Central America, and  the Caribbean.


3. Related diseases

The Zika disease has is affiliated to dengue, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile viruses, all of which are arthropod-borne flaviviruses (viruses which may cause encephalitis- acute inflamation of the brain). A link also exists between Zika fever and microcephaly in newborn babies of infected mothers.

4. Incurable illness

Scientist say the illness caused by the Zika virus is similar to a derivation of the dengue fever and cannot be prevented by drugs or vaccines. As of 2016, no vaccine or preventative drug is available, however, symptoms can be treated with paracetamol (acetaminophen), while aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be used only when dengue has been ruled out by a physician, this is to reduce the risk of bleeding.

5. Transmission and common symptoms

Daytime-active mosquitoes are known to be the dominant transmitters of the Zika virus, it could also be gotten from bites by arboreal mosquitoes. Research reveals that the extrinsic incubation period in mosquitoes is about 10 days.

The vertebrate hosts of the virus are primarily monkeys and humans, hence there are reports that the virus can be transmitted sexually.

In 2009, a biologist named Brian Foy, had just returned from Senegal where he visited to study mosquitoes and was bitten on a number of occasions. On his return to the US, he fell ill with Zika, further investigations revealed that he had had unprotected sex with his wife, hence she was infected with the disease.

The common symptoms of infection with the virus include mild headaches, maculopapular rash, fever, malaise, pink eye, and joint pains. It reportedly begins with a mild headache, progressing into a maculopapular rash, fever, and back pain.

Reports suggests that within two days, the rash starts fading, and within three days, the fever resolves and only the rash remain.

Scientists have called on the WHO to heed lessons from the Ebola outbreak and convene an emergency committee of disease experts to combat the Zika virus.