The Scoop on Zika
MaKayla McCauley
February 12, 2015
The Zika virus is a newly emerging virus that is derived from Aedes mosquitos, the virus was identified in 1947 in rhesus monkeys and identified in humans in 1952 out of Uganda. Zika is closely related to the dengue virus as well. The viruses infection has been seen as a virus that is only symptomatic in one out of five cases (WHO, 2016) The most common symptoms are fever, rash, red eyes, joint pain, muscle pain and headaches. The incubation period for the virus is unknown but is likely to be about a week. The symptoms are mild and only last a few days to a week, max. People who have recently traveled across the world are at most risk for contracting the virus, and spreading it back into the country via travel. According to the CDC, before the outbreaks occurred in the U.S. the virus was most prominently found in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. In the U.S. the virus has spread across the states from the Eastern states of Connecticut to California however, not all states have been introduced to the virus. Thankfully, Kentucky hasn’t been hit yet, however on a recent news report I saw that a case had been reported in Indiana which is a little concerning for the upcoming spring and summer. Unfortunately, there has yet to be a vaccine that will help in taking preventative measures to control the virus as well as there is no real treatment for the virus, all you can do is treat the symptoms, kind of like the flu. Take advil or ibuprofen to help kill the fever, drink plenty of fluids and get as much rest as possible! The best kind of prevention is education. The more educated the general public is about the virus and the spread of the virus, the better off everyone will be. But, the education needs to come from a reliable source such as the Centers for Disease Control or the World Health Organization. Most news sources like CNN and Fox news have biased opinions and limited information on the virus so they’re only reporting part of the story. Normally they exacerbate the data they have which usually just scares the public anyways. No, that is the worst case scenario. The general public needs to be informed, and be informed in the right manner. In addition to education in preventative measures, another step that I think would help control the virus would be some sort of mosquito control program that educates the public, and wards mosquitoes off of direct contact with the skin, altogether this idea is virtually impossible, mosquitoes are going to bite of course, but the more limited the biting, the more limited the spread of the virus! According to the WHO, when the flu had a huge outbreak in 1911, government officials tried to quarantine members of the army by isolating soldiers that had any signs or symptoms of the illness. Major events like sporting events, concerts, etc. were postponed around the world in order to attempt to control the infectious spread of the flu. Much like today, if we try these preventative measures, they will more than likely fail, as history shows us. However, in an article I recently read in the NY times, Tavernise talks about how she thinks that the United States best defense against the virus is air-conditioning and window screens. The screens and air-conditioning block rapid virus transmission by keeping the healthy mosquitoes from biting people that are infected and spreading the virus. I don’t think quarantining people who show signs or symptoms of the virus would help with the transmission of the virus. It’s like lent, when you tell Catholics they can’t have fish on Friday’s, by golly they’re going to want a big ol’ juicy cheeseburger, much like if you tell people with these common flu-like signs and symptoms to stay in doors or stay in a hospital, they’re going to much rather want to get on with their everyday lives outside of the house or hospital and virtually it won’t stop disease transmission. In conclusion, I have high hopes that we will not have a big outbreak of the virus, however, the upcoming spring/ summer is where you will see the biggest amount of concern and quarantining people will not virtually help the situation. Don’t let history repeat itself. May the odds be ever in your favor.
World Health Organization. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12 Feb. 2016. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.
Tavernise. "Prepare for Guerilla Warfare with Zika Carrying Mosquitoes." Nytimes.com. NY Times, 12 Feb. 2016. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.
Ministry of Health NZ. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.
