Zika Fever
Zika Fever
A disease caused by Zika virus that's spread through mosquito bites.
It appears as of January 2016 to be limited to parts of South and Central America.
There has been significant rise in microcephaly which is a birth defect that is believed to be associated with rise in Zika infections.
Update: As of 1/29/16, it has spread to the U.S. as well as 19 other unnamed countries.
Update: There i'snt any vaccine for Zika but to prevent getting it wear long sleeve shirt and long pants.
Stay in places with air conditions and stay away from mosquitoes.If
you have a baby or a child, cover every inch of the body to prevent it.
Update: The most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes).
The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week.
Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon.
Symptoms:
Pain areas: in the back of the eyes, joints, or muscles
Whole body: fatigue, fever, chills, loss of appetite, or sweating
Also common: eye redness, headache, skin rash, or vomiting
It only can live in warmer areas of the world
Unborn Children that is expose to the disease will have Brain Damage and Skull Defect
With no vaccine, controlling mosquitoes is key
No medicines are available to treat those with the Zika virus, and there are no vaccines to prevent it.
But Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Thursday that clinical trials on a vaccine could begin this year.
The lack of treatment and preventive options has led officials in Colombia, Jamaica and El Salvador to advise women to avoid getting pregnant so long as the Zika threat remains.
Eduardo Espinoza, El Salvador's vice minister of health, recommended that women should "plan their pregnancies and try to avoid getting pregnant this year and the next."
The WHO isn't going that far, nor does it plan to anytime soon, according to Aylward.
The agency will more likely focus on advising women in the Americas who want to get pregnant to reduce their risk of mosquito bites.
The United States is urging pregnant women not to fly to countries battling the virus.
Airlines refund tickets to Latin America over Zika
Authorities are also focusing on containing the Aedes mosquito species, which spreads the disease.
These mosquitoes have spread flaviviruses such as Zika before -- for example, dengue fever, in South America, Central America and as far north as Florida and Texas.
And the regularly occurring global weather phenomenon known as El Niño is expected to make things worse by increasing mosquito populations, the WHO's Chan said.
Keeping down the number of what Schuchat called "aggressive daytime biters" is tough.
Microbiologist Brian Foy pointed out that Aedes mosquitoes "can replicate in flower vases and other tiny sources of water."
"Community mosquito control may be difficult," Schuchat said.
"The current methods that we have may have shortcomings."
Diagnosis: a new test Zika virus test
developed by a group of MIT scientist is considered a game changer for quick cheap diagnosis of the disease.