Malaysia confirmed its first case of Zika yesterday and ever since then, efforts have been stepped up by the government to stop the spread. It is however, mostly agreed upon that the virus can only be contained with proactive action from everyone! As such, it was high time to learn everything that we could about it, and what we as responsible citizens must do.
Zika Virus – What is it?
Zika virus, first isolated in Uganda in 1947, is part of the virus family Flaviviridae and the genus Flavivirus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Zika virus is largely spread by the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito (Ae. aegypti and Ae. Albopictus), known to be aggressive daytime biters that will also bite at night. It can also be transmitted sexually. At the moment of writing, there is no vaccine or cure for Zika.
Zika Virus – The Symptoms
The problem with Zika virus is that its symptoms usually only develop in 20% of those infected. Even then, they tend to be very mild, develop only after 3 to 12 days of being bitten by an infected mosquito and last between 4 to 7 days. The most common symptoms include:
Fever – usually mild
Skin rash – some patients have reported that the itchy and bumpy red rash starts on the face before making its way down the body
Headache – usually mild
Conjunctivitis – pink, red or inflamed eyes
Joint and muscle pain – swelling in the joints can be expected
Please note that you CAN be infectious even if you do not display any of these symptoms.
As these symptoms do not differ much from those caused by other mosquito-borne infection e.g. dengue and chikungunya, one can only get a Zika case confirmed by a healthcare professional. Diagnosis of the Zika virus is usually confirmed with a blood or urine test.
The good news is, an infection with the virus is rarely severe enough to get anyone killed or hospitalised. Being infected once also means that you will likely develop immunity. The bad news, on the other hand, is that people can sometimes (but rarely) develop a serious autoimmune disorder that affects the central nervous system called the Guillain-Barré syndrome. Zika virus can also sometimes (but again, rarely) be transmitted from a pregnant woman to their unborn baby and cause serious birth defects as a result.
Zika Virus – Who is at Risk?
As the virus is mostly spread by transmission from an infected mosquito, people who travel to countries where Aedes mosquitos are found are at the highest risk of being infected. Their sexual partners are also at risk as Zika virus can be transmitted sexually. The unborn babies – 1% to 10% of them, of any pregnant woman risk developing serious birth defects like microcephaly - a neurological condition in which a baby's head is significantly smaller than the heads of other babies of the same age and sex, if their mother is infected.
Zika Virus – How to Prevent?
Minimising your exposure is the best method of prevention as there is currently no vaccine for the virus. You can protect yourself by:
- Avoiding travel to known areas with high mosquito-borne disease transmission
- Taking extra precautions when traveling to areas with Zika,
- Consulting a healthcare professional after traveling to a high-risk area and
- Practicing safe sex or abstaining from sex (especially if you are trying to conceive) with a sexual partner that has returned OR hails from a high-risk area.
Extra precautions must also be taken at home starting from NOW, in light of Malaysia's first confirmed Zika case. These extra precautions are:
- Wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants when outdoors,
- Cleaning or removing every potential mosquito breeding sites from your home e.g. the top 5 breeding habitats comprising domestic containers, flower pots, ornamental containers and plants and toilet bowls/cisterns (Source: Singapore Government's National Environment Agency)
- Getting together with the community to clean up or get rid of potential mosquito breeding sites from public area e.g. closed and opened perimeter drains, discarded receptacles, gully traps (Source: Singapore Government's National Environment Agency)
- Applying mosquito repellant to any exposed part of the skin – this is VERY important, especially with pregnant women, considering the risk of birth defects in their unborn child, and children and babies (with their weaker immune system).
Zika Virus – Treatment
There is currently no specific treatment for Zika. If you are infected, your healthcare professional might prescribe you medication that helps in relieving the symptoms (if any). There are, however, a few things to keep in mind:
If you and your partner are trying to conceive and one of you has tested positive for Zika, it is advisable to practise safe sex or to abstain from it altogether for at least 2 months after recovery (6 months if the MAN is infected) before trying to conceive.
Pregnant women with Zika should be referred to an O&G doctor to discuss the monitoring of their baby.
Zika Virus – More Information
It is important to keep yourself up to date with the latest Zika outbreaks and news. There are a few established health organisations you can refer to that are keeping tabs and updating everyone on current Zika transmission. You can refer to them here:
Australian Government's Department of Health – http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/ohp-zika-countries.htm
Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) - http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/active-countries.html
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control – http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/healthtopics/zika_virus_infection/zika-outbreak/pages/zika-countries-with-transmission.aspx
For further information and if you think you have been infected by the Zika virus, please contact a healthcare professional nearest to you immediately.
