In 2016 it appeared that the Zika virus came out of nowhere. An increasing amount of women in Latin America were giving birth to babies with deformed heads. Eventually, it was determined that the culprit was a mild flu-like virus transmitted via mosquitoes. Although, some adults and children only exhibited mild symptoms, it was discovered that the virus was causing microcephaly in fetal brains; a condition where a baby’s head is much smaller than usual. In 2016 US Congress finally approved aid to fight the virus after several reports that the virus had reached the United State. It eventually became apparent that the Zika virus was a new public health problem.
The Zika virus was accidently identified when efforts were made to isolate
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Up to 80% of children and adults infected with Zika have no symptoms (JAMA, 2013). Although the Zika virus is mostly transmitted by mosquito bites, there have been reports of pregnant mothers spreading the infection to their child while pregnant or during labor and delivery, and even cases sexual transmissions. After initial infection, mild symptoms of the illness usually last 2 to 7 days. The biggest concern regarding the Zika virus is the possible link to miscarriages and birth defects. Transmission of mother to child infection while pregnant appears to be linked to microcephaly in infants, which results in a baby born with an abnormally small head, usually resulting in brain-related or neurological problems. In some instances, babies born to infected mothers have also exhibited neurological symptoms in the absence of microcephaly. Unfortunately, the extent of neurological symptoms is not known until the babies are monitored while they continue to grow. Studies in 2014 also found that there might be a possible link between the Zika virus and Guillian-Barré syndrome. Guillian-Barré syndrome is a rare disorder in which your body's immune system attacks your nerves. Between 2013 and 2014 a case control study found that 41 out 42 patients with Guillian-Barré syndrome were also found to have Zika virus …show more content…
As more information comes in, preventive measures have been implemented in an attempt to control outbreaks, as well as monitor and alleviate current cases. The CDC recommends that pregnant women avoid traveling to areas with known Zika virus transmissions. Women that are not pregnant do not need to be tested, even if they have symptoms, since the virus is self-limiting. Regardless of symptoms, men do not need to be tested. There is no medication or vaccine that can prevent infection so the only way to prevent Zika, especially while traveling, is to use mosquito repellent , staying indoors, and wearing appropriate clothing. Pregnant women should avoid unnecessary travel. Males that have traveled to Zika areas and have pregnant spouses should practice abstinence or use a condom for the duration of the pregnancy (JAMA, 2016). Because nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can cause hemorrhagic complications and Zika infection has been known to mimic symptoms of dengue fever, it is recommended that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should be avoided in a person with mild symptoms until dengue can be ruled
The woman says she is suspicious of the vaccines safety. Guillain-Barré Syndrome is very rare and only happens in one in a million cases. It can also happen if you contract the stomach flu. This disease isn’t deadly and a few months slightly paralyzed over death sounds fair, but people still decided it was better to catch the flu and take a chance on death, that’s what the mother in the comic did. I’m guessing the child was fairly young about one to nine years of age because the swine flu 2009 strain was very severe for this age group. Adults have a stronger immune system and have been exposed to more sicknesses than young children, so for adults the flu wasn’t too bad for them and probably thought that it wouldn’t be as severe for their child, but a young child’s immune system would be overwhelmed by the disease and cause a more severe
Poliomyelitis is a virus that infects the nerves of the spinal cord, and brain which leads to paralysis and or death (Piddock, 2004). Poliomyelitis is best known today as Polio, and Infantile Paralysis. Tonsillectomy polio would take over the lymph nodes in order to spread the infection throughout the body, leading to muscle paralysis in the limbs, and in some cases respiratory failure. Bulbar polio was a much more severe form, it affected the top of the spinal cord which caused paralysis and inability to swallow fluids (Rifkind, 2005). Polio was transmitted through ingesting materials contaminated by the virus found in feces. Children would play in public swimming pools, and ingest the contaminated water which lead to infection (Piddock, 2004). After the person ingested the virus, it would travel their intestinal tract, and eventually compromise their lymph nodes, making them unable to fight off the virus. Symptoms were like those of the flu, such as fever, headache, and upset stomach. The minority of people were able to let the virus run its course and it would be passed through their feces like any other virus. Others weren’t so lucky, those with compromised immune systems were unable to fight off the virus, the lymph nodes would fail to protect the nervous system causing paralysis once it reached the spinal cord (Piddock, 2004). Poliomyelitis has since then been eliminated in the United States because of the polio vaccine that is giv...
Many infections end in stillbirth or miscarriage. Children who survive are likely to be born with serious problems, such as, seizures, an enlarged liver and spleen, yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice) and severe eye infections. Often, infected children don't develop signs and symptoms until later on, symptoms include hearing loss, mental disability or serious eye infections.
Living in the world that consists of three thousand different types of mosquitoes is frightening. People got used to a daily routine of waking up and getting to their jobs, that many of them are so focused on their career and family that they do not even notice and pay much attention when they are getting bitten by mosquitoes. Unfortunately not many people were aware of the fact that not all insects are safe, many of mosquitoes transfer infections, but we were not concentrating on that since it was considered not a common issue. As a repercussion, people did not begin to react and notice that something wrong with them when Aedes mosquitoes began their attempt on ruining people’s social, physical and psychological lives by transferring a Zika virus to the once who are bitten.
From the article “6 Ways to Avoid Getting Bitten by a Zika Virus Mosquito, by Kelsey Kloss” it indicates there are precisely six steps. The first step is the consumer must buy a specific kind of mosquito repellent. “The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends products with active ingredients DEET, oil of lemon eucalyptus, picaridin, or IR 3535.” (Kloss, Kelsey 1). The second step is to apply the repellent on the surface of your body properly. The third step is to not wear revealing clothing; therefore, it will be more difficult for the mosquitoes to bite you since your skin isn’t exposed. The fourth step is to “prep your home” meaning mosquitoes tend to die in chilly environments for perhaps it’s in our best interest to keep our homes at a reasonable but frosty temperature. Mosquitoes also like areas that have shade and damp areas, for this reason, is that mosquitoes tend to breed in certain habitats with those characteristics, like swamps, jungles, and other humid areas. The fifth step is to exercise indoors, thus you’re not vulnerable. And the final step is to travel intelligently, obviously not traveling to infected
Mosquitoes, fever and even death may be some of the things that come to mind when we're asked to think about West Nile Virus. Many of us would consider mosquitoes a small trade-off for what the summertime provides, but what if there were more at risk than a bump above your skin and an itch? In a not so distant past West Nile Virus ascended into news broadcasts all throughout the country and alarming it's residents. Today however, that all seems to be an afterthought. The intentions today are to cover the first found cases of West Nile Virus, the symptoms of West Nile Virus, and finally West Nile Virus' impact on the United States. Through the research here, the hope is that we can all have a better understanding of how West Nile Virus works.
It is not unusual for an athlete to have any sort of outbreak during the games (Riccobono). Authorities and health officials are taking this situation very seriously to protect athletes and spectators (Riccobono). All athletes and spectators should be taking smart measures to avoid mosquitoes during the games, like wear extra clothes, have bug repellent, and stay in mobile air conditioned places if possible (?Zika concerns mount?). It would be the only time in history that the Olympic Games have been changed due to health reasons. Rio?s mayor, Eduardo Paes states, ?this is not going to be an Olympics of wasting money.? The colder temperatures around the time of the Olympics should help mosquito population be at a lower risk. Officials are working on the psychological aspect of athletes being scared about the Zika virus (Romero and Ruiz). Federal troops are spraying for mosquitoes across the country (LaGrave).
While many forms of encephalitis exist, West Nile Virus was first isolated and identified in the West Nile District of Uganda in 1937. The virus, which was seemingly isolated to North Eastern Africa, became recognized as a cause of severe human meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the spinal cord and brain) in elderly patients during an outbreak in Israel in 1957. In addition to the human victims of this disease, the virus was found Egypt and France during 1960s to have fatal effects within horses. While this disease spread through Northern African and Southern Europe, 1999 marked the first appearance of West Nile Virus in North America, with encephalitis reported in both humans and horses.
It's very helpful when doctors, especially ones as well educated as Dr. Sergio Cortes, explain imminent health threats in plain, everyday language that everyone can easily understand. Getting information out to the public regarding the Zika virus is vital; the article Find Out More About Zika Virus With Sergio Cortes, from his personal blog, gives people the tools they need to lessen their chances of contracting the virus. Since Zika is now definitely linked to microcephaly, a birth defect affecting infant’s development, it is imperative that pregnant women avoid contracting the Zika virus. The virus is not contagious; people cannot catch it from another person who has the virus, however, when a mosquito that stings a person who has the Zika
The article is about how the Zika virus has reached Ontario from the first time. A Canadian citizen travelling back from Columbia brought it over and has now been in contact with their health care providers. This is not the first time the virus has come into Canada there has been a few cases in Alberta, B.C. and Quebec. It is unlikely that many Canadians will be infected with the virus, but knowing that this dangerous virus has crossed our border has many worried.
The Ebola Virus is an extremely deadly virus found in Africa. There have been multiple outbreaks across Africa and one in the United States. The Ebola virus basically causes uncontrollable bleeding externally and internally. Then your organs become liquefied. This usually results in death(www.encyclopedia.com). The following report contains info on the characteristics and history of the Ebola Virus.
The Ebola virus was discovered in 1976. It has four strains, each from a different geographic area, but all give their victims the same painful, often lethal symptoms.
The Ebola Haemorrahagic Fever, or Ebola for short, was first recognized as a virus in 1967. The first breakout that caused the Ebola virus to be recognized was in Zaire with 318 people infected and 280 killed. There are five subtypes of the Ebola virus, but only four of them affect humans. There are the Ebola-Zaire, Ebola-Sudan, Ebola-Ivory Coast and the Ebola-Bundibugyo. The fifth one, the Ebola-Reston, only affects nonhuman primates. The Ebola-Zaire was recognized on August 26, 1976 with a 44 year old schoolteacher as the first reported case. The Ebola-Sudan virus was also recognized in 1976 and was thought to be that same as Ebola-Zaire and it is thought to have broken out in a cotton factory in the Sudan. The Ebola-Ivory Coast was first discovered in 1994 in chimpanzees in the Tia Forest in Africa. On November 24, 2007, the Ebola-Bundibugyo branch was discovered with an approximate total of 116 people infected in the first outbreak and 39 deaths. The Ebola-Reston is the only one of the five subtypes to not affect humans, only nonhuman primates. It first broke out in Reston, Virginia in 1989 among crab eating macaques.
There are currently 40 emerging infectious diseases, that are at risk of spreading from country to country, due to the increase of people traveling. Diseases like Ebola and the Zika virus pose a global threat due to the possible rapid rate of transmission from human-to-human, that occurs with exposure to someone who is symptomatic and seropositive (World Health Organization, 2016-a). When there is an infectious disease breakout, public health practitioners and physicians, must make quick decisions regarding isolation of a patient exhibiting symptoms and using quarantine for those who have been exposed to someone symptomatic or seropositive. Although, a public health framework is followed to make the decisions for isolation and
Thesis Statement: The deadly virus Ebola is killing thousands of innocent people world wide, but there are some simple steps that are being taken to prevent this coming tide of death.