The Zika virus is here and now it is thought that it can be transmitted from one person to another. It is in South America where an insect (the Aedes mosquito) bites an infected animal and in turn the insect would bite a human being, thus infecting them.
Per the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website- Zika virus is spread to people through mosquito bites. The most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week. Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon.
In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infection in Brazil. The outbreak in Brazil led to reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome and pregnant women giving birth to babies with birth defects and poor pregnancy outcomes.
If you are infected the resulting illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting less than a week. Common symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. Please note that there is a possible link between the Zika virus and pregnant women, which can cause birth defects. At this time there is no vaccine for this disease. Treatment focuses on relieving symptoms which includes rest, rehydration, and the use of medications for fever and pain.
Within the last week it has been inferred that Zika might also be transmitted via unprotected sex and blood transfusion. Note that these claims are yet to be verified by the World Health Organization (WHO). If these claims are true, we are in deep trouble!
If the only mode of transmission is via an insect (mosquito) bite, then it is very easy to control. But if it also can be transmitted by a blood transfusion or by having unprotected sex with an infected person, then it can and will spread like wildfire throughout the United States; if not he world. I am not trying to frighten anyone and please do not panic if you have visited the areas in South America or the US Virgin Islands where the virus has shown up. Do go to your doctor if you have any of the symptoms I described earlier in this blog posting and have recently visited the areas where the Aedes mosquito is present, especially if you are pregnant.
On Monday (February 8th) the White House said it would ask Congress for $1.8 billion in emergency funding to combat the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has already infected more than 1 million people in South America and is thought, in some cases, to damage the brains of fetuses. This is a real danger of the virus to the future generations of children that might be born of mother infected with the Zika virus. As of this date no one has ever died from the virus and that is the good news!
So it is important to take sensible steps to protect yourself following the recommendations of the CDC, How to protect ones self.
That is my opinion- Jumpin Jersey Mike
