Welcome to the blog about Zika and how it effects the planet. In our podcast we outlined why knowledge of the Zika virus is important, some facts, some recent history, and why it is dangerous. Why is it important to know about the Zika Virus? The CDC has confirmed more
than 700 cases of Zika virus 41 US states and 3 US territories. Just under 50%
of cases in the U.S. were acquired through travel while the rest were
transmitted by mosquitos. All locally acquired cases are in US territories, not
US states, with Puerto Rico accounting for 83% of the total. This is important
because the virus could potentially move north into the US state and Canada. This is important to know because we all need to be aware of the virus and be prepared in case there is an outbreak of Zika infected mosquitos in
the US. In our podcast we had two sections that talked about important facts about the virus which included, there is no specific treatment or
vaccine currently available, the best form of prevention is protection against
mosquito bites, the Zika virus is spread by mosquito bites and by sex, symptoms of Zika virus infection are usually mild, unborn babies are most at risk from Zika virus complications, travelers probably won’t bring infected mosquitoes along with them, and you can help prevent Zika infection by using insect repellents. We then talked about the history of the Zika virus from 2007, where it spread from Africa and Asia and started a large outbreak in the Pacific islands, to 2016, where the WHO(World Health Organization) declared that the recent outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The last thing that we talked about in our podcast was, why is the Zika virus dangerous? We talked about four reasons on why it is dangerous, which were, a pregnant woman already infected with Zika virus can pass the virus to her fetus during the pregnancy or around the time of birth, a pregnant woman can pass Zika virus to her fetus during pregnancy. Zika is a cause of microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects. We are studying the full range of other potential health problems that Zika virus infection during pregnancy may cause, to date, there are no reports of infants getting Zika virus through breastfeeding. Because of the benefits of breastfeeding, mothers are encouraged to breastfeed even in areas where Zika virus is found, and the disease can be sexually transmitted. All people who have been infected with Zika virus and their sexual partners should practice safer sex, by using condoms correctly and consistently. We hope you enjoyed listening to our podcast and learned something you didn't know about the Zika Virus.
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