Zika Virus Outbreak In Brazil LInked To Fetal Brain Damage!
Zika Virus, that is reported to be the latest Aedes transmitted infection in Brazil is now linked to fetal brain damage!
It was evident that Brazil was facing a serious dengue fever situation last year, with more than 750,000 reported cases. And 6200 reported cases of Chikunguniya. Both these diseases were transmitted to human beings by the same species of mosquito: Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus). The yellow fever was also reported to be transmitted by them. Now, the health authorities of Brazil have reported another virus transmitted by these mosquito species: the Zika Virus.
The Zika virus in Brazil is a flavivirus related to dengue, yellow fever, west nile and Japanese encephalitis viruses. It produces comparatively mild diseases in humans. The virus was initially isolated from an infected Rhesus monkey in the Zika forest of Uganda in 1947. The virus is rarely seen outside of Africa and asia. The mode of transmission to human beings is via Aedes mosquitoes.
Pathogenesis: the mosquito-borne flaviviruses replicate initially in dendritic cells near the site of inoculation and then spreads to the lymph nodes and the bloodstream.
Symptoms: Headache, Transient fever, back pain and a maculopapular rash that covers face, neck, trunk and upper arms spreading to palms and soles.
According to americapublications.com, The ministry has reported two deaths (the first non-infant deaths) from the Zika fever, globally. Once case was a man from Sao Luis, Maranhao state with Lupus and Chronic steroid usage and the other was a 16-year-old girl from Bala. And the recent report confirmed by the Brazilian health authorities is that there is a Link between a form of fetal brain damage and the mosquito borne zica virus.
The World Health Organisation urged countries in the America to maintain the capacity to detect the cake of this virus and to prepare their health systems to take more burdens. A team of their experts are arriving in the country this week to look into the possibility of the virus cases turning epidemic.
The ministry's statement said: "Research on the subject should continue to clarify issues such as how it is transmitted what it does to the body, how the fetus gets infected and the time of greatest vulnerability for pregnant women". According to Reuters, The ministry has said that the new information means that Zica virus has become a serious risk to public health and that Brazil must embark on an emergency program to control and prevent the spread of the virus.
A link between a form of fetal brain damage and the mosquito-borne Zica virus has been confirmed by the health authorities of Brazil.
