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                    What Is Zika and How Can It Be Stopped?

   by Kevin Enochs

   What is Zika?

   Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that is sweeping through South and
   Central America. Its initial symptoms are mild. The main ones,
   according to the [1]U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
   are "fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis" or red eyes. Severe
   cases can linger for up to a month and sometime send patients to the
   hospital.

   The real threat, according to the CDC, seems to be a link between Zika
   and a serious birth defect called microcephaly, in which the baby's
   head is unusually small "compared to babies of the same sex and age."
   The defect has shown up in the babies of women infected with Zika
   during pregnancy.

   The [2]World Health Association says the virus' arrival in Brazil also
   has been associated with a rise there in cases of Guillain-Barre
   syndrome, a rare disorder that can produce muscle weakness and even
   paralysis.

   The CDC says that "knowledge of the link between Zika and these
   outcomes is evolving." Until more is known, it recommends "special
   precautions for the women who are pregnant or trying to become
   pregnant."

   Likewise, the WHO says "a causal relationship between Zika virus
   infection and birth defects and neurological syndromes has not been
   established but is strongly suspected." It's convening an emergency
   meeting Monday in Geneva on the virus.

   ''

   Where did it come from?

   Zika was discovered in 1947 in Uganda's Zika forest. Up until 2007,
   outbreaks were rare and narrowly confined to areas of Africa and
   Southeast Asia. But in the past decade, epidemics have been reported in
   Micronesia and Polynesia, Easter Island, the Cook Islands and New
   Caledonia.

   The first case in South America was identified last May in Brazil.
   Since then, the disease has spread rapidly through most of Central and
   South America. Brazil's health ministry recently reported more than
   4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly since October, compared with less
   than 150 in all of 2014, the [3]Associated Press reported this week.

   How many cases have been reported?

   So far, more than 1 million cases have been reported in Brazil alone.
   But the WHO says it expects the disease to affect between 3 and 4
   million people before it runs its course. Only an estimated one in five
   people exposed to the disease will become ill, but all of them can
   transmit the disease through mosquitoes feeding on them and then
   infecting other people.

   What is the treatment?

   There is no vaccine or medical treatment currently available for Zika.
   The WHO and the CDC recommend rest, plenty of fluids and acetaminophen
   for fever and pain.  The CDC recommends that infected patients avoid
   mosquitoes because "Zika virus can be found in the blood and passed
   from an infected person to another mosquito through mosquito bites."

   What can I do to avoid getting the disease?

   The CDC has issued a Level 2 alert and has urged travelers to the
   region to practice "enhanced precautions" to avoid getting bitten by
   mosquitoes. This includes wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants,
   using insect repellants containing DEET or permethrin-treated clothing.
   Finally, sleep in covered or air-conditioned areas.

   Also, women who are pregnant, in any trimester, should consider
   postponing travel or at least talk with a doctor about the best ways to
   avoid mosquito bites. The same goes for women who are trying to become
   pregnant.

   ''

   What is being done to stop Zika?

   Any number of researchers and research institutions are looking for a
   vaccine and a treatment. Until they're successful, the best way to
   fight the disease is to combat the mosquitoes that carry the virus.

   Officials in Brazil and some of the 22 other countries reporting Zika
   cases are conducting mass spraying of pesticide and urging citizens to
   empty any standing water containers as a way to prevent breeding
   grounds for mosquitoes.
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References

   1. http://www.cdc.gov/zika/disease-qa.html
   2. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2016/emergency-committee-zika/en/
   3. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_WHO_ZIKA_VIRUS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
   4. http://www.voanews.com/content/what-is-zika-and-how-can-it-be-stopped/3166837.html