Introduction
The enhanced means of transport and communication have led to a situation where numerous viruses can be rapidly transmitted from one country to another. Sometimes, it can take several months for a dangerous disease to cross the border. Moreover, highly contagious viruses have proven to have the ability to cause an epidemic shortly after the first cases are detected in a new country. Given the increasing popularity of air travel, diseases can sometimes quickly spread, even from one continent to another. The cases of several Zika virus epidemics provide a crucial body of evidence that can be highly beneficial for future efforts to mitigate the consequences of containing the rapid spread of disease.
Transmission
The spread of a number of diseases that are transmitted by a specific type of animal species can be predicted with a certain degree of accuracy. For instance, numerous viruses are transmitted via insects that predominantly prefer hot, humid climates. Nevertheless, it is not a truly reliable source of information for such an essential type of forecast. More importantly, developing countries are in a precarious position due to the limited resources they have that can help mitigate a potential crisis. Therefore, analysis of the previous outbreaks of a particular disease can contribute to the creation and establishment of a universal framework that ensures that the global community can allocate enough resources to the country in need to stop the spread of a highly contagious virus.
It is crucial to stop any disease at the very beginning of an epidemic, as addressing all the severe repercussions can be an extremely complex undertaking. Therefore, it is essential to compare various outbreaks and realize what a population of a particular country may face once the first case is detected. Zika virus, for instance, shares a genus with the dengue, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile viruses, which makes it easier to realize the scope of the problems that may arise once there is an outbreak in a country. Moreover, medical institutions around the globe that specialize in this type of disease should be ready to assist other countries that may not have developed sufficient facilities due to several factors, such as the small relative size of a nation.
Origins
Zika virus has long been considered one of the most contagious of the notorious diseases that have affected the lives of millions on different continents. The virus originated in parts of Africa with a tropical climate and has rapidly spread to other parts of the world where certain types of mosquitos live. Although the spread of the disease was rapid, it did not result from a single outbreak. There were several waves that led to new cases in Asia in the 1950s, in Micronesia in 2007, in Oceania in 2014, and in India in 2017. All of the above mentioned outbreaks led to rapid increases in cases, which raised concerns about the implementation of measures needed to prevent the virus from crossing borders.
The virus was first documented and immediately isolated in 1947 in Uganda. For decades there were no significant outbreaks, as only about a dozen cases were registered. But the outbreak in Yap islands in Micronesia drastically changed the attitude of the scientific community to the numerous issues that could be triggered by the disease. Moreover, the ability of the virus to successfully cross seas and oceans raised concerns about the ease with which illnesses could unexpectedly occur in different parts of the world. Moreover, as with any disease spread predominantly via insects, it was extremely hard to determine the chances of virus crossing borders.
One of the issues that continue to undermine the efforts to contain the virus is the fact that the disease, in many cases, is hard to identify. Musso et al. (2019) highlight that ZIKV transmission may be occurring without an identifiable outbreak since the majority of infections are asymptomatic. Nevertheless, due to this feature, the disease can lead to numerous severe consequences, as people that are in the risk group may suffer seriously, as Zika may trigger the development of new diseases and syndromes. At the same time, the majority of the population may not even notice a few minor issues, which leads to the lack of treatment and measures needed to contain the spread of the disease.
The virus can rapidly spread in various regions with a hot, humid climate. Emerging evidence, nevertheless, suggests that the virus has the potential to cause infections in Europe, where autochthonous transmission of the virus has been identified (Masmejan et al., 2020). Therefore, it is crucial to realize that the notorious disease may rely predominantly on another type of transmission and can, therefore, cause an epidemic in other regions. Nations around the world should take measures in order to be able to prevent an unexpected spread of a disease that has long been considered tropical.
Outbreak in Micronesia
The outbreak in Micronesia in 2007 was completely unexpected, as the region is not in close proximity to Asia, where the previous outbreaks were detected. Therefore, numerous concerns were raised in connection to various types of virus transmission. The virus was initially believed to be transmitted predominantly by mosquitos. Nevertheless, even early cases that featured tourists returning to their home countries could infect people they communicated with closely. Therefore, new types of transmission were examined, with the virus being transmitted to sexual partners representing frequent cases. Multiple studies have proven that the virus continues to stay in the body for a substantial amount of time, which makes it hard to examine it and take the needed measures.
Outbreak in Oceania
In a matter of a few years, the virus managed to cross various borders and even seas and oceans, as multiple outbreaks were documented in numerous islands in Oceania. The outbreak started in 2013 in French Polynesia and then spread to neighboring islands at a fast pace. The cases were first reported in the Society, Tahiti, Raiatea, Bora Bora, Nuku Hiva, and Arutua. Although the clinical syndrome caused by ZIKV in humans was historically reported as a mild influenza-like illness, in French Polynesia, the rate of symptomatic infections occurred nearly in half of all the cases (Pierson & Diamond, 2018). From French Polynesia, the virus spread to New Caledonia, where the first cases were documented in November 2013. Most of the reported cases could be directly traced from French Polynesia.
Outbreak in the Americas
Despite all the harsh consequences that the spread of the disease brought to numerous remote islands in the Pacific, a number of nations in America experienced similarly devastating effects several years later. In 2015, a Zika virus epidemic started in Brazil and was transmitted to other countries, leading to severe repercussions. Although the World Health Organization stated that the epidemic ended in November 2016, the situation in South America was still far from ideal. The virus is believed to be brought to Brazil from Oceania in 2015.
The country’s health officials immediately notified the World Health Organization of an untypical disease that led to skin rash. It was not yet too early to make statements about the severity of the consequences. Fever, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, rash, malaise, or headache are symptoms of this disease (Rezapour et al., 2020). Due to mild symptoms and numerous symptomatic cases, there was a lack of attention to the possible outcomes. The seriousness of the issue became vivid when pregnant women and people suffering from certain illnesses were infected. It turned out that these groups were especially vulnerable and had to be protected by all means possible due to numerous issues that could affect the development of infants and cause severe health problems in adults.
It is generally believed that the virus made its way to Brazil shortly after the 2014 FIFA World Cup tournament. Moreover, canoeing teams from the islands that experienced the outbreaks competed in Rio in 2014. At the same time, some researchers claim that the virus managed to reach Brazil prior to the above mentioned events. Whatever the case, it is vivid that the spread of the disease mirrored the route of chikungunya and dengue. Both illnesses that are now considered to be endemic in large areas in the Americas somehow managed to cross oceans in a similar fashion. Those viruses traveled from Africa and Asia to parts of Oceania and then to the regions of the Americas with a hot and humid climate.
The rapid spread of the virus in Brazil and the severity of consequences can be attributed to a wide range of factors. For instance, the disease was, in most cases, very mild or asymptomatic, which did not draw public attention in a timely manner. Moreover, high population density, hot tropical climate, and large populations of mosquitos worsened the situation. Large non-immune populations in urban areas were rapidly affected by the virus as soon as a minor outbreak was registered. Thus, the case differed significantly from what happened in Oceania several months before.
Nevertheless, there were more unforeseen factors that used to significantly increase the number of cases. In early 2016, Eastern Brazil and some other regions in southern South America experienced high amounts of precipitation. Higher average temperatures and increased rainfall, longer mosquito season, and a higher mosquito density. In fact, mosquito populations were so prominent at that point that the diseases carried by them could be brought to regions that do not typically feature tropical climate.
Prevention
Currently, there is a vivid deficit in the amount of data on the virus, which hinders the attempts to create a universal framework for the treatment of the disease. At present, no effective antiviral therapies are available for Zika virus infection (Noorbakhsh et al., 2019). The creation of a vaccine is still undermined by a variety of challenges. At the same time, Poland et al. (2018) claim that it is crucial to determine what effect, if any, Zika vaccine-induced immune responses will have on subsequent dengue virus infection. Therefore, numerous efforts to resist the disease still center around a wide range of measures to stop its spread.
Given that such types of viruses can unexpectedly occur in almost any country in the world, it is crucial to notify the population about the multiple approaches that can prevent them from getting the disease. The relatively small number of ways how the virus can be transmitted allows for the development of dedicated strategies that seek to educate people on safety measures and to prevent the spread of mosquitos.
Therefore, a targeted approach can prove to be successful even in cases where a single outbreak leads to millions of cases. The 2015-2016 Zika virus epidemic in the Americas, for instance, was rapidly eliminated due to a set of precise, highly effective measures. Different nations managed to jointly overcome the numerous issues related to the serious changes in the way the virus could spread from one country to another.
The chances of Zika virus spreading in large portions of the US are low, as the climate in most places is not suitable for the rapid spread of mosquitos. Nevertheless, some of the most populous states, such as Florida, Texas, and California are all in the risk areas. Therefore, it is crucial to develop and establish an efficient network that can stop the spread of the virus shortly after the first outbreak is detected.
The best strategy that could substantially hinder the chances of the initial outbreak is the implementation of numerous measures that seek to contain the spread of mosquitos. Those insects are known to transmit a broad spectrum of various diseases that resemble Zika virus. Moreover, the recent COVID-19 pandemic raises concerns about the high chance s of new epidemics and pandemics that could be triggered by increased human contact with wildlife in remote parts of the world.
What is more, it is crucial to implement new strategies that could help minimize the contact with people who vividly show symptoms attributed to Zika. Thus, a variety of media should be utilized in order to educate the population on the illness and its prevention. It is crucial that communities organize themselves in an efficient way that helps raise the alarm long before first people with severe symptoms have to be hospitalized. Recent outbreaks in Micronesia, Oceania, and Brazil have proven that mild symptoms hinder the timely and efficient implementation of a set of measures aimed at preventing the spread of the disease.
Viruses show a tendency to evolve rapidly, adjusting some features in a way that helps them resist human efforts to stop the disease. The percentage of cases in which the non-immune population showed severe symptoms increased rapidly in each of the above mentioned outbreaks. Therefore, communities with hot and humid climates should be aware of all the harsh consequences that might await them once such viruses occur. Therefore, health officials should store a large number of all equipment that may be needed in case of an outbreak or insist that the federal government establishes efficient shipment routes that prevent shortages.
Conclusion
Large portions of the US are located in hot areas that are historically more dangerous due to the ideal conditions for the spread of different viruses. What is more, the US population continues to move to the South and California, meaning that the population density in those states increases drastically. The federal government should be aware of such changes that significantly alter the way the US should treat tropical illnesses. A large percentage of the US population already lives in conditions that can rapidly turn an outbreak into an epidemic. Thus, outbreaks that resemble Brazil’s recent case can occur in some of the most densely populated areas in the US. Joint efforts of epidemiologists, health workers, government officials, and local officials should be centered around the creation of a framework that can help address any related health issue duly.
References
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