Introduction
Zika virus is a flavivirus closely related to the viruses that cause yellow fever, dengue fever, and West Nile fever; it is spread by mosquitoes. Zika virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in a rhesus monkey, and in 1952, it was identified in humans (Favoretto et al., 2019). It is believed to have originated in East Africa, and its outbreaks have been reported in tropical Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. In 2015, the first case of Zika virus infection was reported in Brazil; later in the year, cases of Zika virus were confirmed in many states of Brazil (Favoretto et al., 2019). Zika virus has its few characteristics and shares some similarities with Flaviviridae family viruses.
Discussion
The hallmarks of a Zika infection vary depending on the demographic of human hosts infected. In pregnant women, the hallmarks include an increased risk of miscarriage and serious birth defects in babies born to infected mothers. For other demographics, such as adults who are not pregnant, the hallmarks include fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes) (Nico et al., 2018). The virus can sometimes lead to neurological complications, including Guillain-Barré syndrome and microcephaly in newborn babies. Outbreaks of Zika have been associated with increased rates of microcephaly. The measures for preventing Zika virus disease (Zika) are the same as those recommended to prevent mosquito bites. Zika is spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which are found in many parts of the world, including the continental United States (Nico et al., 2018). There is no vaccine or specific medicine for Zika, but to help prevent Zika, one should wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants and stay in places with air conditioning and screens on doors and windows.
Additionally, it is still unclear exactly how the Zika virus causes microcephaly and other neurological problems. However, researchers believe the virus may disrupt fetal brain development by infecting and damaging developing nerve cells (Guarner & Hale, 2019). Zika is similar to other Flaviviridae family viruses, including Japanese encephalitis, dengue, and West Nile viruses (Favoretto et al., 2019). Like Zika, mosquitoes primarily transmit these viruses and can cause serious neurological problems. However, Zika appears to be much more virulent than other Flaviviridae viruses; while dengue and West Nile typically cause only mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, Zika can lead to severe birth defects.
Moreover, the Zika virus is a member of the Flaviviridae family, which includes other viruses such as dengue, West Nile, and yellow fever. Although these viruses share some common features, each has unique characteristics that can be studied to better understand how Zika functions. For example, dengue and Zika are transmitted by the same type of mosquito, but dengue causes much more severe symptoms than Zika (Guarner & Hale, 2019). This difference could help scientists develop treatments for Zika that are more specific and less harmful than current options for dengue. Additionally, the West Nile virus rarely causes serious illness in humans; therefore, understanding why this is the case could lead to insights into how to make Zika less harmful. Similarly, the Zika virus is transmitted by mosquitoes, while dengue and yellow fever are transmitted by other insects (Guarner & Hale, 2019). In addition, the Zika virus can lead to serious birth defects in pregnant women, while dengue and yellow fever do not appear to cause these same defects. Finally, the Zika virus has been found in parts of Africa and Asia where dengue and yellow fever are absent.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that was first identified in 1947. It is closely related to other well-known viruses in the Flaviviridae family, such as dengue fever, yellow fever, and Japanese encephalitis. Zika infection hallmarks include mild fever, maculopapular rash, and conjunctivitis. The illness is typically self-limiting and lasts for a few days. While the majority of infections are asymptomatic, Zika has been linked to serious health conditions in some rare cases. These include microcephaly (an abnormally small head) in newborns whose mothers were infected during pregnancy and Guillain-Barré syndrome.
References
Favoretto, S. R., Araujo, D. B., Duarte, N., Oliveira, D., da Crus, N. G., Mesquita, F., Leal, F., Machado, R., Gaio, F., Oliveira, W. F., Zanotto, P., & Durigon, E. L. (2019). Zika virus in peridomestic neotropical primates, Northeast Brazil. EcoHealth, 16(1), 61–69.
Guarner, J., & Hale, G. L. (2019). Four human diseases with significant public health impact caused by mosquito-borne flaviviruses: West Nile, Zika, dengue and yellow fever. Seminars in Diagnostic Pathology, 36(3), 170–176.
Nico, D., Conde, L., Rivera-Correa, J. L., Vasconcelos-Dos-Santos, A., Mesentier-Louro, L., Freire-de-Lima, L., Arruda, M. B., Freire-de-Lima, C. G., Ferreira, O., Jr, Lopes Moreira, M. E., Zin, A. A., Vasconcelos, Z., Otero, R. M., Palatnik-de-Sousa, C. B., Tanuri, A., Todeschini, A. R., Savino, W., Rodriguez, A., & Morrot, A. (2018). Prevalence of IgG autoantibodies against gd3 ganglioside in acute Zika virus infection. Frontiers in Medicine, 5, 25.