Zika virus disease is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Zika virus usually remains in the blood of an infected person for about a week but it can be found longer in some people.
People usually don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika. For this reason, many people might not realize they have been infected. Once a person has been infected, he or she is likely to be protected from future infections.
Zika virus was first discovered in 1947 and is named after the Zika forest in Uganda. In 1952, the first human cases of Zika were detected and since then, outbreaks of Zika have been reported in tropical Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. Zika outbreaks have probably occurred in many locations. Before 2007, at least 14 cases of Zika had been documented, although other cases were likely to have occurred and were not reported. Because the symptoms of Zika are similar to those of many other diseases, many cases may not have been recognized.
In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infection in Brazil. Local transmission has been reported in many other countries and territories. Zika virus likely will continue to spread to new areas.
On January 22, 2016, CDC activated its Incident Management System and, working through the Emergency Operations Center, centralized its response to the outbreaks of Zika occurring in the Americas and increased reports of birth defects and Guillain-Barré syndrome in areas affected by Zika virus. On February 1, 2016, the World Health Organization declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Hawaii has had four cases of Zika virus, all in travelers to countries with ongoing transmission. Local mosquitoes have infected 260 people on the Big Island with dengue fever. "Any place a dengue outbreak can occur, a Zika outbreak could occur," explains Lyle Peterson, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s division of vector-borne disease. "Given the fact that many affected travelers could be coming to Hawaii as outbreaks occur around the Pacific, there is always the possibility of infecting local mosquitoes."
Treatment
There is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat Zika infections; however, you can treat the symptoms:
During the first week of infection, Zika virus can be found in the blood and passed from an infected person to a mosquito through mosquito bites. An infected mosquito can then spread the virus to other people.
Emergency Funding Allotted
On February 8, 2016, Center for Disease Control (CDC) elevated its response efforts to a Level 1 activation, the highest response level at the agency, and President Obama announced a request for $1.8 billion in emergency funds for several agencies to accelerate research into a vaccine and educate populations at risk for disease. Part of these funds would go to shoring up the capabilities for mosquito control. The particular mosquito species that transmits Zika is an aggressive daytime biter that can live inside as well as outside. A little water left in a flower pot is enough for its eggs to hatch.
CDC is working with international public health partners and with state and local health departments to
To help lower the risk of contracting Zika, do not leave standing water in vessels either inside or outside the house, and try to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you go camping or expect to spend an extended amount of time outdoors, you might want to prepare yourself with an anti-bug/mosquito spray. Eat right, exercise regularly and take the four Powerhouses: Laminine, OMEGA+++, DIGESTIVE+++ and especially IMMUNE+++.