About All you want yo know about the Zika Virus
Zika virus is spreading at a rapid pace everywhere. According to WHO (World Health Organisation), it is 'spreading explosively'. Global health officials are saying that the virus that's linked to birth defects in thousands of new-born babies in Brazil is spreading like wildfire towards America and could end up infecting 3 to 4 million people. While people race against time to find a vaccine for the terrible virus, here are some answers to questions you always wanted to ask about Zika virus and the current outbreak.
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What is Zika virus?
Zika is a disease caused by the Zika virus and spreads to people from a mosquito bite. Most newborns whose mothers have had the virus are suffering from Microcephaly - a disorder where the baby's head is much smaller and underdeveloped.
How does it spread to people?
Like mentioned before, the virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected female Aedes mosquito, the same kind that spreads dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. Spreading explosively in the Americas right now, The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is saying that the mosquitoes can be found in all countries in the Americas except for Canada and continental Chile. The virus is likely to reach countries in the region when Aedes mosquitoes are found.
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| Zika virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected female Aedes mosquito. |
What are the symptoms of Zika?
People who have Zika virus typically have a mild fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, constant muscle fatigue and joint pain from anywhere between two to seven days. The scariest bit, however, is the fact that as many as 80 percent of people infected never develop a symptom strong enough to suspect anything.
Can people die because of it?
Not that we know of right now. The PAHO said there is no evidence that Zika can cause deaths but there have been some serious complications reported in patients who are already suffering from a medical condition.
There's also microcephaly, and Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the nervous system. Scientists are studying whether there is a causal link between Zika and these two disorders.
What's the connection with microcephaly?
To tell you more in detail, microcephaly is a condition marked by an abnormally small head and brains that haven't developed properly in a newborn. Although scientists haven't really found a direct relationship between Zika and birth defects, it is strongly suspected. Brazil has reported around 3,700 cases of possible microcephaly that might be linked with Zika. Research in Brazil shows that the risk of microcephaly is the highest during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Is India at risk?
Not yet, but we'd be foolish to ignore it considering what's at stake here. Since the mosquito is found in abundance in the country, and dengue is a problem India faces every year, we fall in the most dangerous zone for Zika virus to spread.
How do you treat Zika?
Unfortunately, there is no treatment or vaccine available for Zika. Companies and scientists are racing against time to develop a safe and effective vaccine, but it's not expected to be ready for months or years.
Can it be contained?
Efforts are being made to control the spread of the virus. Authorities are focusing on eliminating the breeding grounds of the mosquito and taking precautions against mosquito bites by using insect repellent and mosquito nets. Expecting mothers have been advised to avoid visiting Latin American and Caribbean countries where they might be exposed to Zika.
Which countries are fighting the Zika outbreak?
According to WHO, Zika has been reported in 23 countries in the Americas. While Brazil remains the most affected nation, other countries, and territories include Barbados, Bolivia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Suriname, Venezuela and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the PAHO.
Can it be contained?
Efforts are being made to control the spread of the virus. Authorities are focusing on eliminating the breeding grounds of the mosquito and taking precautions against mosquito bites by using insect repellent and mosquito nets. Expecting mothers have been advised to avoid visiting Latin American and Caribbean countries where they might be exposed to Zika.
Which countries are fighting the Zika outbreak?
According to WHO, Zika has been reported in 23 countries in the Americas. While Brazil remains the most affected nation, other countries, and territories include Barbados, Bolivia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Suriname, Venezuela and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the PAHO.
India Has Developed The World's First Vaccine For Zika
Bharat Biotech, a city-based vaccines and bio-therapeutic manufacturer, on Wednesday claimed to have achieved a breakthrough in developing a vaccine to fight the dreaded mosquito-borne Zika virus, which allegedly causes serious birth defects in children.
Bharat Biotech is home to some of the most brilliant minds in the world and began work on the Zika virus a year ago, Krishna Ella, CMD Bharat Biotech, said.
"We believe we have an early mover advantage in developing the Zikavac and we are probably the first in the world to file for global patent for Zika vaccine candidates"
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| India develops First Vaccine For Zika, The Deadly Virus Terrifying The World! |
"We have two candidate vaccines in development. One of them is an inactivated vaccine that has reached the stage of pre-clinical testing in animals," Ella said. Quoting a WHO report, he said Zika is now present in 23 countries and Brazil, the hardest-hit country, has reported around 3,530 cases of the devastating birth defect, called microcephaly, in 2015 that are strongly suspected to be related to Zika.
"We hope to announce the arrival of Zikavac to the world as early as possible," he said.
Zika virus is spread by mosquitoes of the Aedes genus, which can breed in a pool of water as small as a bottle cap and usually bite during the day. The mosquito-transmitted infection is related to Dengue, Yellow Fever and West Nile virus. "Considering that women of child-bearing age and pregnant women are the prime target group for Zika virus vaccine, we consider safety as the overriding factor in the development of a new vaccine for this virus.
The vaccine methods developed early on, before the devastating consequences of the epidemics in Brazil came to light, provided us a push to accelerate vaccine development," Dr Sumathy, Director, R&D, Bharat Biotech said.
Currently, the vaccine maker is focusing towards scale up and characterization of the vaccine product, Ella further said.
Via: indiatimes
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