Zika virus facts you need to know - Rawan For Media Artistic and Production
Zika puts further strain on Venezuela's collapsing health system
Pregnant women can also pass the virus to their babies during pregnancy, but how and when this happens is unclear.
Those infected can pass the virus on through a mosquito bite for about seven days after infection.
There
are no reports of transmission through breastfeeding, but in a few
cases the virus has been reported to have been passed on through blood
transfusion.
Can it be caught through sexual contact?
Sexual
transmission of Zika is considered rare although health officials in
the US state of Texas have reported a case in which they say Zika is
likely to have been contracted through sex.
The individual infected had not been in Zika-affected areas, but a sexual partner had and suffered Zika-like symptoms.
Health
officials are now urging men to use condoms after travelling to areas
which have the Zika virus and to avoid having unprotected sex for six
months if they have had symptoms.
They say pregnant women should avoid contact with semen from men exposed to the virus.
Where is Zika?
The latest outbreak is in 25 countries in the Carribean, Central America and South America.
Past
outbreaks have been in Gabon, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone,
Côte d'Ivoire, the Central African Republic, Cambodia, Micronesia,
Malaysia, Pakistan, India, Thailand, Philippines, and Indonesia.
How did Zika get to Brazil?
Nothing
has been proven, but Zika may have been brought to Brazil by
participants of the Va'a World Sprint Canoeing World Championships, held
in August 2014.
Athletes came from French Polynesia, New Caledonia, the Cook Islands and Easter Island.
Zika virus spreading: WHO declares health emergency
It
has also been suggested that Zika was brought by Asian tourists
attending the 2014 FIFA World Cup, raising concerns that the Olympics,
starting in Rio de Janeiro on August 5, will result in further spread
of the virus.
How is Zika diagnosed?
A blood or tissue sample from the first week of the infection must be sent to an advanced laboratory.
The
virus can be detected through sophisticated molecular testing that
seeks out the active virus, which lasts in the body for about a week.
Research
is being done to develop a rapid test which could look for antibodies
after a patient has recovered from the virus, making it possible to test
for immunity.
How is Zika treated?
There is no vaccine or specific medicine currently available and treatment is normally focused on relieving the symptoms.
Can a vaccine be developed?
A
vaccine is possible but development, testing and trials for human
vaccines normally take years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
A number of companies, including Inovio, Hawaii Biotech, GSK and Sanofi are developing or considering working on a vaccine.
Indian
company Bharat Biotech is reported to have applied for patents for
two possible Zika vaccines last year, but these must still be tested for
safety and efficacity.
Last year Sanofi received approval for the world's first dengue vaccine, which is closely related to Zika.
Zika emergency will force countries to cooperate
In response to the current outbreak it has launched a v accine research and development project to target Zika.
Until now it has been cautious about whether the dengue vaccine could be adapted.
"There
are too many unknowns about Zika to reliably judge the ability to
research and develop a vaccine effectively at this time," it said in a
statement.
What is microcephaly and how is it linked?
Microcephaly is a birth defect characterised by incomplete brain development and an unusually small head.
It
is a life-long condition with no cure or standard of treatment, and is
linked with conditions such as seizures, developmental delays and
intellectual problems.
Microcephaly is normally uncommon. In the US, there are typically between two and 12 cases per 10,000 newborns.
The
condition is being reported in the worst Zika-affected areas in Brazil
at dramatically higher rates: 100 cases for every 10,000, or one percent
of births.
Research
from Brazil has suggested there is a correlation between the location
and timing of this Zika outbreak and the increase in cases of
microcephaly, but there is currently no proof that the virus causes the
birth defect.
On
January 27, the Minsitry of Health in Brazil reported that out of 4180
suspected cases of microcephaly, only 270 had been confirmed, and of
these just six were linked to Zika.
This has given rise to the view that the number of cases and the scale of the problem has been misrepresented.
On
the February 1, the World Health Organization declared a global health
emergency in response to the growing number of birth defects and other
neurological disorders in Brazil and their possible link to the Zika
virus.
Scientists mull using genetically-modified mosquitoes to battle Zika
The WHO's Director-General Dr Margaret Chan says a causal link is "strongly suspected".
Why was the potential link between Zika and birth defects not previously observed?
In
areas where Zika has been active for decades, such as Central Africa
and Asia, most people are infected early in life, so the risk of
infection during pregnancy is small.
The population in the Americas has not had exposure to the virus until now.
This
means more women are now being exposed to the virus for the first time
during pregnancy, possibly increasing the risk of birth defects.
This
is why public health officials are telling women to avoid getting
pregnant, at least until they have had the virus, or Zika has been
brought under control.
Can GM mosquitos stop the virus?
British biotech company Oxitec has produced genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes by introduing two genes into its DNA.
One of them makes its eggs glow under UV light, helping with identification.
The other causes the mosquito's offspring to die.
Oxitec
says that by releasing the GM mosquitos into infected areas,
populations of Aedes aegypti can be reduced by more than 80 percent,
thereby reducing transmission of Zika.
Oxitec
says there is no way the mosquitos' modified DNA can transfer into
humans or other mammals and insects, but public fears over genetic
modification mean the technique is controversial.
Source: Al Jazeera
WHO says Zika virus is strongly suspected of causing birth defects and may infect 3-4 million people in the Americas.
What is the Zika virus?
Zika virus is a mosquito-transmitted infection related to dengue, yellow fever and West Nile virus.
Symptoms are mild and include fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis (red eyes).
Just one in five people infected becomes ill. Hospitalisation is uncommon and deaths are rare.
How does it spread?
Zika is primarily spread through the bite of an infected Aedes species of mosquito.
Zika virus is a mosquito-transmitted infection related to dengue, yellow fever and West Nile virus.
Symptoms are mild and include fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis (red eyes).
Just one in five people infected becomes ill. Hospitalisation is uncommon and deaths are rare.
How does it spread?
Zika is primarily spread through the bite of an infected Aedes species of mosquito.
Zika puts further strain on Venezuela's collapsing health system
Pregnant women can also pass the virus to their babies during pregnancy, but how and when this happens is unclear.
Those infected can pass the virus on through a mosquito bite for about seven days after infection.
There
are no reports of transmission through breastfeeding, but in a few
cases the virus has been reported to have been passed on through blood
transfusion.
Can it be caught through sexual contact?
Sexual
transmission of Zika is considered rare although health officials in
the US state of Texas have reported a case in which they say Zika is
likely to have been contracted through sex.
The individual infected had not been in Zika-affected areas, but a sexual partner had and suffered Zika-like symptoms.
Health
officials are now urging men to use condoms after travelling to areas
which have the Zika virus and to avoid having unprotected sex for six
months if they have had symptoms.
They say pregnant women should avoid contact with semen from men exposed to the virus.
Where is Zika?
The latest outbreak is in 25 countries in the Carribean, Central America and South America.
Past
outbreaks have been in Gabon, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone,
Côte d'Ivoire, the Central African Republic, Cambodia, Micronesia,
Malaysia, Pakistan, India, Thailand, Philippines, and Indonesia.
How did Zika get to Brazil?
Nothing
has been proven, but Zika may have been brought to Brazil by
participants of the Va'a World Sprint Canoeing World Championships, held
in August 2014.
Athletes came from French Polynesia, New Caledonia, the Cook Islands and Easter Island.
Zika virus spreading: WHO declares health emergency
It
has also been suggested that Zika was brought by Asian tourists
attending the 2014 FIFA World Cup, raising concerns that the Olympics,
starting in Rio de Janeiro on August 5, will result in further spread
of the virus.
How is Zika diagnosed?
A blood or tissue sample from the first week of the infection must be sent to an advanced laboratory.
The
virus can be detected through sophisticated molecular testing that
seeks out the active virus, which lasts in the body for about a week.
Research
is being done to develop a rapid test which could look for antibodies
after a patient has recovered from the virus, making it possible to test
for immunity.
How is Zika treated?
There is no vaccine or specific medicine currently available and treatment is normally focused on relieving the symptoms.
Can a vaccine be developed?
A
vaccine is possible but development, testing and trials for human
vaccines normally take years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
A number of companies, including Inovio, Hawaii Biotech, GSK and Sanofi are developing or considering working on a vaccine.
Indian
company Bharat Biotech is reported to have applied for patents for
two possible Zika vaccines last year, but these must still be tested for
safety and efficacity.
Last year Sanofi received approval for the world's first dengue vaccine, which is closely related to Zika.
Zika emergency will force countries to cooperate
In response to the current outbreak it has launched a v accine research and development project to target Zika.
Until now it has been cautious about whether the dengue vaccine could be adapted.
"There
are too many unknowns about Zika to reliably judge the ability to
research and develop a vaccine effectively at this time," it said in a
statement.
What is microcephaly and how is it linked?
Microcephaly is a birth defect characterised by incomplete brain development and an unusually small head.
It
is a life-long condition with no cure or standard of treatment, and is
linked with conditions such as seizures, developmental delays and
intellectual problems.
Microcephaly is normally uncommon. In the US, there are typically between two and 12 cases per 10,000 newborns.
The
condition is being reported in the worst Zika-affected areas in Brazil
at dramatically higher rates: 100 cases for every 10,000, or one percent
of births.
Research
from Brazil has suggested there is a correlation between the location
and timing of this Zika outbreak and the increase in cases of
microcephaly, but there is currently no proof that the virus causes the
birth defect.
On
January 27, the Minsitry of Health in Brazil reported that out of 4180
suspected cases of microcephaly, only 270 had been confirmed, and of
these just six were linked to Zika.
This has given rise to the view that the number of cases and the scale of the problem has been misrepresented.
On
the February 1, the World Health Organization declared a global health
emergency in response to the growing number of birth defects and other
neurological disorders in Brazil and their possible link to the Zika
virus.
Scientists mull using genetically-modified mosquitoes to battle Zika
The WHO's Director-General Dr Margaret Chan says a causal link is "strongly suspected".
Why was the potential link between Zika and birth defects not previously observed?
In
areas where Zika has been active for decades, such as Central Africa
and Asia, most people are infected early in life, so the risk of
infection during pregnancy is small.
The population in the Americas has not had exposure to the virus until now.
This
means more women are now being exposed to the virus for the first time
during pregnancy, possibly increasing the risk of birth defects.
This
is why public health officials are telling women to avoid getting
pregnant, at least until they have had the virus, or Zika has been
brought under control.
Can GM mosquitos stop the virus?
British biotech company Oxitec has produced genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes by introduing two genes into its DNA.
One of them makes its eggs glow under UV light, helping with identification.
The other causes the mosquito's offspring to die.
Oxitec
says that by releasing the GM mosquitos into infected areas,
populations of Aedes aegypti can be reduced by more than 80 percent,
thereby reducing transmission of Zika.
Oxitec
says there is no way the mosquitos' modified DNA can transfer into
humans or other mammals and insects, but public fears over genetic
modification mean the technique is controversial.
Source: Al Jazeera
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