Every few years there seems to be a new outbreak of sorts that throws the international community into frenzy. In 2009, there was a swine flu outbreak that killed over 14,000 people. In 2012, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) put a scare into the worldwide community. Just last year, Americans were terrified of the Ebola virus spreading to the U.S after it had killed over 11,000 people in Africa. So what is the world public worried about today?
The answer to that question right now is the Zika virus, which is spreading like wildfire across South America. This virus is terrifying. This virus is dangerous because of the effects it could have on the future population of America. The Zika virus has a devastating effect on pregnant women and their fetuses. Agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) are warning women in South American to wait at least two years to try to get pregnant due to the risks the virus poses.
Ashley Marshall, a student at Sinclair who is currently 6 months pregnant, explained her views on the current state of the virus.
“The Zika virus makes me nervous, but I try to keep in mind that I live in an area that, if reached, probably won’t have a massive outbreak,” she explained. “However, anything that has the potential to harm a mother’s baby is scary and something that I plan on taking precautions for.”
History of the Zika Virus
The Zika virus was discovered in 1947 in the Zika Forest in Uganda. It was found by a group of scientists that were researching yellow fever. The scientists were able to identify the virus from a captive rhesus monkey after it developed a fever and they were able to draw blood and test it.
In 1954 the first human cases were reported in Nigeria. After the discovery of the virus, there was very little talk about it for the better part of 60 years. Confirmed cases of Zika were very rare across Africa and southeastern Asia. Slowly, but surely, the virus was slowing creeping east and would soon make a grand appearance.
In 2007, a major outbreak of the Zika virus occurred in Yap Island, Micronesia. There were almost 50 confirmed cases and around 60 more suspected.
Who is at Risk?
One of the more interesting aspects of the Zika virus involves who is at the highest risk with this virus. For adults that contract the virus the risk to their health is next to nonexistent. Eighty percent of cases are asymptomatic, which means that they show no symptoms whatsoever.
The people that are most at risk are pregnant women or a family (man and woman) that are trying to get pregnant. In fact, several countries are already issuing warnings telling women to avoid pregnancy for at least two years.
The real risk with the Zika virus is to the fetus or future fetus. The virus is linked with a condition called microcephaly, which is a birth defect where a baby’s head is smaller than expected when compared to babies of the same sex and age. When a baby is born with a smaller head it usually has a smaller, underdeveloped brain. This can lead to a plethora of future issues such as Guillian-Barre syndrome, acute myelitis, and reduced life expectancy.
While the link between Zika and microcephaly has never actually been scientifically proven, it is highly suspected due to the explosion of Zika and the simultaneous explosion of microcephaly in Brazil. Between the years of 2010-2014 there were 781 suspected cases of microcephaly.
However, in 2015 and through March of 2016, there were 863 confirmed cases and 4,268 suspected cases. As you can the number of microcephaly cases exploded in that short duration of time.
Michael Ady is an ER doctor that works for a variety of hospitals in the Akron/Canton area and has worked around people that have had flaviviruses, like Zika.
“At this time, I do not foresee a long-standing effect on the U.S,” Ady said. “We are currently dealing with infections from people who traveled to areas with active virus transmission. The illness is self-limiting, meaning that it only lasts a few days to a week. There are some potential complications like Guillain-Barre Syndrome and maternal to fetal transmission that can cause defects.”
How Zika Spreads and Affects our Lifestyle
The Zika virus is spread three different ways: blood transfusions, sexually from man to woman, and through mosquito bites. This is a mosquito-borne illness so its predominant form of transportation is mosquitoes.
Originally aedes africanus was the mosquito that carried the virus. That species of mosquito is located only in Africa. However, the species that is continuing the spread of the virus is called aedes aegypti, which is widely considered the “cockroach” of mosquitoes.
There are several reasons for this name for aedes aegypti. First of all, these mosquitoes can breed in nothing more than a cap full of water. With all of the plastic and rubber trash that people have laying around, it is extremely easy for these mosquitoes to breed in subtropical areas. Secondly, these mosquitoes only bite humans and are extremely aggressive in doing so. Lastly, these mosquitoes are incredibly aggressive in the daytime hours and still somewhat aggressive at night.
It’s astounding how dangerous something as tiny as a mosquito can be. Statistically, these little insects are the most dangerous animals in the world. Mosquito bites are responsible for more than 1 million deaths every year according to the WHO.
Johannah Kirkman, the wife of an employee at Sinclair Community College, explained what she was going to do to protect herself from infection. She recently discovered that she was pregnant with their third child:
“We have purchased tiki torches with citronella that help drive away mosquitoes that we light upon going outdoors,” Kirkman said. “We also have specially formulated logs that keep the mosquitoes away when we burn fires. We have gone around our yard and emptied any standing water that may draw the mosquitoes to lay their larva.
“As warmer weather draws near I plan to put mosquito repellent that is deet free on both my children and myself. I will wear lightweight long-sleeved shirts and skirts to reduce the risk of being infected with Zika.”
This virus could wreak havoc on travel in the U.S for years to come. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has posted travel advisories for 40 countries, which include popular travel destinations such as the Caribbean. Over 40 million people travel to and from the Caribbean in a given year. This could contribute to a major rise in imported cases of the virus.
If someone contracts the virus and brings it back then a mosquito that is not carrying the virus can bite them, contract the virus, and begin to spread it. We can only hope that the Zika virus is one that does not live up to its potential.
Caleb Means
Contributing Writer