The Zika virus has been spread
rapidly in the Americas since its first identification in Brazil in early 2015.
Zika is transmitted through the aedes mosquito’s bite and it causes a mild
disease in adults but in case of pregnant women, Zika requires extra caution.
This virus is linked to abnormal fetal development. It may be the reason why many
new-borns in the last year suffer from microcephaly and other neurological
abnormalities. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) hasn’t confirmed this
relation yet.
Brazilian scientists support the connection
between Zika virus and diseases such as microcephaly and Guillain Barre. The
Brazil Government is taken the Zika very seriously and they have taken a lot of
actions in order to face this outbreak. This action covers several areas:
surveillance and monitoring, prevention, control and training, financial
investment, information awareness and mobilization, and finally research.
Nevertheless, the best way to stop
the Zika infection is prevention. The Government has promoted responses to be
adopted like applying insect repellent, ensuring there are nets on windows and
doors and wearing long-sleeved clothing. Even so, the number of new-borns with
microcephaly has raised to 4.783 cases.
Moreover, next July, Brazil is
welcoming the 2016 Olympics and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. So, the
social alarm is whistling. In this context, the WHO together with the Brazilian
and Canadian governments have issued no recommendations against leisure or
business trips to or trade with the 25 countries and territories affected by
the Zika virus.
But this article returns the
attention to this country, because it supports the idea of a possible sexual transmission
of the Zikas virus. This means that men who are infected from it, could pass on
the infection to pregnant women. However these studies prove the transmission
through semen, it seems that it could be possible a transmission through other
fluids, but this hasn’t been proved yet.
Zikas virus will increase the list
of sexual diseases which are an important problem in developing countries. It
is very common in these countries a lack in sexual education, so the Government
must start a program to make aware the population about the use of condoms and
the risk of having sex without protection.
I strongly believe that the
situation in these countries, particularly, in Brazil, is very complicated. If
Zika virus can be contagious through sexual contact, the number of microcephaly
and abnormal babies will increase. We don't have any effective medication to
treat this sickness, so the Government only can act in order to prevent the
infection. But if at the moment, the contagion is possible by two ways, the
task of stopping the spread will be more difficult and it will take more time.
So at that point, do
you think that this study is relevant? Should we centre our attention in sexual
transmission of virus Zika or otherwise we should forget about this study and
centre our work in the mosquito’s transmission?
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1604449?query=featured_zika
I think that it is very important to know which are the transmission paths of any disease to avoid the new cases.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I think that it's very useful to know thich are the possible transmissions of virus zika. Anyway, all the population but strongly the government, should or must start to be aware about the risks of having sex without protection, as Adela has said.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is very important to follow both kinds of investigation: if the virus is sexually transmissible and how does it work. Like you said, Brazil is country with high rates of STD’s and if this study proves right, it is way more dangerous and will be much more difficult to control and prevent this infection.
ReplyDeleteEven though nothing is proven, but just to be sure, people should avoid risky behaviors – better safe than sorrow? And for that, awareness is crucial.
First, I would like to say thank you to Adela for share with us this interesting article about Zika virus, a serious disease which is affecting many people right now.
ReplyDeleteZika virus is not a new discovery. I don't know, if any of my classmates knows it, but its name comes from the Zika Forest of Uganda, where the virus was first isolated in 1947. This virus is related to some diseases, e.g. Dengue, Yellow fever or Japanese encephalitis.
The infection could cause mild symptoms or even could cause no symptoms. The problem appears when is a pregnant women which suffer this infection, because Zika may spreads from a pregnant women to the baby, and it may result, as Adela says, in microcephaly and other severe brain problems.
Just like the article says, Zika can be transmitted from a man to his sex partners so it's very important keep doing research into Zika transmission in order to face the pandemic which is afflicting so many developing countries. And it's important too, that the government ensures that his citizens are informed about the risk of Zika virus and its transmission.
It is important to know all aspects of the zika, because there are still many things that we do not know. It is important to research all possible modes of transmission of what is becoming a pandemic in South America.
ReplyDeleteThe most important thing is prevention because there isn’t a treatment ,so I think we should focus on two aspects: sexual transmission and the transmission by mosquitoes.
On the other hand,considering that Brazil will receive the Olympic Games, it may be more important to focus on the spread by the mosquito, because it could produce a global expansion of the disease. I still think it is important to control all possible means of transmission of the disease.
All the news related to a new spreadable disease are always really focused on media because of its inherent interest and alarm.
ReplyDeleteContagious diseases are always among the people's concerns. If I'm not wrong they are still trying to report the cases of microcephaly and make sure it is linked to this virus. Until proven the contrary, Zika is guilty.
Of course the administration and drug companies must tackle this issue by investigation, and then prevention through hygienic prophylaxis and vaccinations if it is mandatory for the public health
Hello Adela and thanks for introducing this topic which is a current issue in public health medicine.
ReplyDeleteEvery study that shows any progress in the knowledge of a disease should not be taken for granted. So, this study is the beginning for other studies that confirm or deny that hypothesis. However, we have to continue studying this disease: its pathogenic pathway and its treatment. And also, governments should educate society to prevent this kind of diseases, specially in risk groups like pregnant women, children and old people.
Finally, I would like to sum up and point the different points of view of my classmates about the transmission of Zika’s virus. First at all, I want to thank all my colleagues for their participation and for sharing with me their opinion about this article.
ReplyDeleteThe first comment was done by Carlota, she wanted to stand out the importance of knowing the ways of transmission of Zika virus in order to prevent new cases.
Then, Gemma started another discussion about the lack of sexual education in these countries. She agree with my opinion about the importance of Government actions. We don’t know if it is possible or not a sexual transmission of Zika virus but in any case, it is important to make aware population about the risk of having sex without protection.
The person who commented thirdly was Margarida who believes in the importance of carrying on with the researches about the two possible kind of transmission. Moreover, she added that if Zika virus can be transmitted by sexual relation, the disease will be spread faster than with the bite of a mosquito. She thinks that it is more difficult to control a possible sexual transmission due to the high number of STD’s rates in Brazil and the others South American countries. So, for her the solution could be to start educating population about the danger of sexual illness and to try to avoid risky behaviors.
Cristina shared with us the history of the discovery of Zika virus. She told us that the virus was studied for the first time in 1947 and it received his name in honor of Zika forest of Uganda where the virus was isolated. She explained us that this virus shares some symptoms with others diseases and it’s the reason why Zika was related with Dengue or Yellow fever. Furthermore, she gave us her opinion about this new information about Zika; she is convinced in the importance to continue investigating about the forms of transmission and she affirmed that the government is the responsible of keeping population informed about the ways of transmission.
The fifth one was Isa who agrees with other classmates about the necessity of researching more about this infection. But, she spoke about another thing to be taken into account: Brazil will received the Olympics Games next summer, so in this way it is more important to focus the attention on the spread by the mosquito because it may produce a global extension of the illness. I strongly agree with Isa in this point, Olympic Games is an international event and people of everywhere will go to this country in order to assist to this important competition. I believe that Brazil has to guarantee that there isn’t any risk to visit this country.
ReplyDeleteJordi, who was the sixth, brought us another idea about this issue. He suggested that the media had created a fictional alarm about this sickness, he added that the relation between Zika and microcephaly newborns hasn’t been proved yet. On the other hand, he shared his opinion of the other classmates about the importance of knowing more about the two kind of transmission of Zika virus.
Adrià, who was the last one, is convinced that this study is only the beginning and other studies must support or deny this hypothesis. For him, an isolated study doesn’t have repercussion enough to confirm a new hypothesis.
In order to conclude, I would like to say that I have enjoyed very much sharing and debating about this article with my classmates. There are some points in the ones we share the same opinion: we are sure that there is a commitment from part of the scientist community and the Governments to know the different ways in which Zika virus can be transmitted. We also agree that it is important to educate the population and give information about sexual transmission and sexual sickness.
However, there are colleagues such us Isa who thinks that the government must focus on stopping the mosquito transmission and avoid an international spread by the Olympics Games. Others, like Carlota, Gemma, Margarida and Cristina who alert about the danger of a possible sexual transmission and center their proposal in the importance of knowing how the transmission is produced. However, Jordi believes that the media have created an inexistent alarm and finally, Adrià is convinced about this study has started a very long list of studies about a new possible way of transmission of Zika virus.
This issue is very extensive and there are a lot of opinions about it. But, for me, this topic can be closed with this phrase of Nelson Mandela : Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
ohh i see
ReplyDelete