1:23:00 am
The Zika virus, which began spreading in Brazil last year,
has no treatment and even though the agency says it is no longer a public
health emergency, they have also said that it still is a significant and
enduring public health challenge. Thousands of Zika virus cases were reported
in Brazil last year and in 2016. The Zika virus continued to spread to many
other countries and experts even requested for the Rio 2016 Olympics to be
moved or delayed.
The Zika virus disease can have symptoms like mild fever,
headaches and muscle and joint pain. But the disease has also been linked to
birth defects. One of the birth defects that the Zika virus has been linked to
is microcephaly, a rare birth defect that causes a baby’s head to be small and
not fully developed.
The Zika virus, which is mostly spread through mosquito
bites, has no specific treatment and while in some cases there are no symptoms,
the disease could be a problem for pregnant women because it may cause birth
defects.
The World Health Organization declared nine months ago that
the Zika virus was a public health emergency after microcephaly and cases of
other birth defects began appearing. It was reported in April that the number
of confirmed and suspected cases of microcephaly in Brazil linked to the Zika
virus was at 4,908.
The Zika virus appeared in Brazil in early 2015 but it
quickly spread to nearby countries. The disease has been linked to birth
defects in more than 20 countries.
The World Health Organization announced this yesterday, nine
months after declaring that the Zika virus was a public health emergency. This
is good news but the agency has also said that the virus remains a threat.
The Zika virus, which was discovered in the Zika forest in
Uganda almost 70 years ago, was largely unknown to the world until it began
spreading last year. Experts are currently working to create a vaccine for the
Zika virus.
