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Ten things to know about Zika

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An ongoing epidemic of Zika virus infection — a usually asymptomatic and mild disease that is increasing in the Western Hemisphere — was declared a public health emergency by WHO early this year. The outbreak in the Americas began in Brazil, which reported up to 1.3 million cases of Zika virus in 2015, according to an MMWR report.

Growing evidence suggests the Zika virus infection during pregnancy increases the risk for microcephaly and other neurological conditions. In some cases, the virus has been attributed to miscarriages and stillborn births. In response, WHO and the CDC have advised pregnant women to avoid traveling to areas with active Zika transmission.

In this report, Infectious Disease News presents 10 things to know about this emerging disease.

Zika typically mild mosquito-borne viral disease

Zika virus disease primarily is spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. The most common symptoms of the disease are fever, rash, joint pain and red or inflamed eyes. Cases are typically mild and last several days to 1 week. Severe cases leading to hospitalization are rare; however, Zika virus infection during pregnancy was recently linked to neurological birth defects in fetuses. Read more.

Zika first discovered in Uganda

Zika virus was first detected in Africa, where it was isolated from a rhesus monkey in the Zika Forest of Uganda in 1947. The first appearance of Zika virus in the Americas occurred in Brazil early in 2015. Read more.

Evidence supports link between Zika, microcephaly

Researchers from three universities — Johns Hopkins, Florida State and Emory — exhibited the first evidence of a likely biological link between Zika and microcephaly by showing the virus directly targeted and infected cells involved in the brain’s development, according to their study published in Cell Stem Cell. Read more.

Pregnant women advised to avoid areas with active Zika transmission

WHO’s Emergency Committee acted to enforce guidance previously set by the CDC advising pregnant women to avoid traveling to areas with ongoing Zika activity, which includes most of South and Central America. Read more.

CDC guidelines urge condom use; health agencies increase prevention efforts

“Until we know more, if your male sexual partner has traveled to or lives in an area with active Zika virus transmission, you should abstain from sex or use condoms the right way every time you have vaginal, anal, and oral sex for the duration of the pregnancy,” according to CDC guidance. Read more.

CDC issues guidelines for infants with possible congenital Zika virus

Due to the potential for serious birth defects, such as microcephaly, caused by Zika virus, the CDC has released interim guidelines for physicians screening infants for possible congenital Zika virus infection. Read more.

Americas battle Zika virus

The Pan American Health Organization anticipates that Zika virus transmission will eventually spread to every country in the Americas where the Aedes aegypti mosquito vector is found, which includes all regions except for Canada and continental Chile. Read more.

Senate committee hears testimony on growing Zika virus

The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions recently heard testimony from public health officials on the growing public health threat of Zika virus to help Congress and the public gain a better understanding of the virus and the threat it poses to the United States. Read more.

CDC releases Zika virus test; cases confirmed among pregnant US residents

A new test, called the CDC Zika IgM antibody capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, detects immunoglobulin M antibodies produced in response to infection. Read more.

WHO urges aggressive mosquito control strategies

WHO is encouraging countries affected by Zika virus to control the mosquito population through innovative and biological methods, and it is considering the use of genetically modified mosquitoes to further reduce the population. Read more.

Reference:

Hennessey M, et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6503e1.