Shahd Alhamdan
Saudi Gazette
Despite huge progress and development in health and technology over recent decades, emerging diseases, including Corona and now Zika virus disease, still have the potential to spread rapidly across the globe before solutions can be found to save peoples lives.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), the Zika virus first appeared in Uganda and was transmitted to monkeys by mosquitoes in 1947.
By 1952, the first humans to contract the virus were recorded not only in Uganda but also in the United Republic of Tanzania.
Today, cases of the Zika virus have been recorded in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Brazil according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.
One of the signs that a person has contracted the symptoms such as fever, pain in the muscles, a skin rash, eye color alters to red, and headaches.
According to WHO, the indications of the virus appear and mild for two to seven days, and in a very few cases traces of the virus can be found in patient’s blood for longer than a week.
Despite the current media attention on the virus, it is quite rare for a person with Zika to die.
There is no specific treatment for Zika, and there is still no vaccine for the virus.
Those infected have been advised to rest, and drink a large amount of water and liquids.
The person should also take care of their body pain and treat it with over the counter painkillers that can also relieve the symptoms of fever.
However, the CDC says those infected with Zika must not take aspirin and other non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs.
Those travelling to areas where the virus has been recorded are advised to wear long-sleeves and long clothes to prevent mosquito bites, use topical mosquito repellents, and stay in cool, air-conditioned areas indoors.
