Zika Virus Strikes Again...


For those of you who have been following our blogs for a long time, you may recall that back in February, Adil Rahman insightfully explored the origin, causes and symptoms of the Zika virus. Just as a recall, the Zika virus is an infection transmitted by mosquitos – which act as vectors. Although this disease originated in 1947, it has only become widespread recently in areas of Africa, Asia and more recently, the Western Hemisphere. This week on Universal Medicine, we return to the virus due to recent news exposing the contraction of the virus by the US military forces.
A spokesman for Pentagon, the headquarters for the United States department of defence, reported that 30 active members of the US army have the Zika virus. In total, the US has 41 people with the virus, including one pregnant woman. Even though some of the information has been revealed, we are still not told the countries from which the virus has been contracted. Further to providing some form of treatment to the servicemen – although there is no set treatment at present - another key focus that is persistent is to restrict access to areas with mosquitos. Hence, the possibility of relocation has been offered.

In addition, the condition of the child still remains unknown and is of concern. This is because the foetus has the risk of developing microcephaly: a condition in which the viral proteins leech onto the energy and nutrients of cells in the brain. Thus, limiting overall growth and in turn leading to abnormally small heads and deformed brains.
In order to combat this recent outbreak in the US, aerial insecticide spraying is only of the few actions that can be undertaken to reduce the risk of further transmission.

Clearly, the outbreak of the Zika virus is a major problem. With no definitive treatment, it is essential that measures are taken to reduce the risk of contracting the virus. That is why it is important for Universal Medicine to raise this topic to YOU! It is vital that you take measures to protect yourselves from mosquito bites. Strategies to do this include: use of insect repellents and limiting direct skin exposure by wearing long sleeves (especially during daylight). The majority of those infected will not experience symptoms. However if present, these usually include: fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes – which usually last no more than a week.

PLEASE… IT IS VITAL THAT IF YOU SUSPECT THAT YOU MAY HAVE CONTRACTED THE VIRUS, CONSULT A HEALTH SPECIALIST IMMEDIATELY.
We hope that this blog has been of use to you and would appreciate if you project these precautious messages to friends and family.  

Written by Gagandeep Sachdeva
Universal Medicine

Sources:
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3735196/Exactly-Zika-cripples-fetus-Miami-reports-infections-CDC-pours-240m-state-funding-control-virus.html
- http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/health/what-is-zika-virus.html?_r=0
- http://stateschronicle.com/zika-virus-strikes-again-17292.html
 

 

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