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  • Zika Outbreak - What You Need To Know - BBC News

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    Pushpinder Singh Thukral
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    The Zika virus is spreading rapidly through the Americas and may be linked to a surge in babies being born with microcephaly (underdeveloped brains). It is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes and most people infected have mild or no symptoms. There is no vaccine or treatment. Health officials are advising people to take precautions against mosquito bites and some countries have declared emergencies. Scientists are working to develop testing and a vaccine as the virus could threaten the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

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    Zika Virus BBC

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    Zika Outbreak_ What You Need to Know - BBC News

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    The Zika virus is spreading rapidly through the Americas and may be linked to a surge in babies being born with microcephaly (underdeveloped brains). It is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes and most people infected have mild or no symptoms. There is no vaccine or treatment. Health officials are advising people to take precautions against mosquito bites and some countries have declared emergencies. Scientists are working to develop testing and a vaccine as the virus could threaten the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    31 views8 pages

    Zika Outbreak - What You Need To Know - BBC News

    Uploaded by

    Pushpinder Singh Thukral
    The Zika virus is spreading rapidly through the Americas and may be linked to a surge in babies being born with microcephaly (underdeveloped brains). It is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes and most people infected have mild or no symptoms. There is no vaccine or treatment. Health officials are advising people to take precautions against mosquito bites and some countries have declared emergencies. Scientists are working to develop testing and a vaccine as the virus could threaten the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 8

    1/28/2016

    Zikaoutbreak:WhatyouneedtoknowBBCNews

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    Zikaoutbreak:Whatyouneedtoknow
    ByJamesGallagher
    Healtheditor,BBCNewswebsite
    25January2016 Health

    AP

    TheZikavirus,analarminganddisturbinginfectionthatmaybelinkedtothousandsof
    babiesbeingbornwithunderdevelopedbrains,isspreadingthroughtheAmericas.
    Someareashavedeclaredastateofemergency,doctorshavedescribeditas"apandemicin
    progress"andsomeareevenadvisingwomeninaffectedcountriestodelaygettingpregnant.

    Whatarethesymptoms?
    Deathsarerareandonlyoneinfivepeopleinfectedisthoughttodevelopsymptoms.
    Theseinclude:
    mildfever
    conjunctivitis(red,soreeyes)
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    Zikaoutbreak:WhatyouneedtoknowBBCNews

    headache
    jointpain
    arash
    Thereisnovaccineordrugtreatment.Patientsareadvisedtorestanddrinkplentyoffluids.
    Butthebiggestconcernistheimpactitcouldhaveonbabiesdevelopinginthewombandthe
    surgeinmicrocephaly.

    Whatismicrocephaly?

    Itiswhenababyisbornwithanabnormallysmallhead,astheirbrainhasnotdeveloped
    properly.
    Theseverityvaries,butitcanbedeadlyifthebrainissounderdevelopedthatitcannotregulate
    thefunctionsvitaltolife.
    Childrenthatdosurvivefaceintellectualdisabilityanddevelopmentdelays.
    Itcanbecausedbyinfectionssuchasrubella,substanceabuseduringpregnancyorgenetic
    abnormalities.
    Brazilhadfewerthan150casesofmicrocephalyinthewholeof2014,buttherehavebeenmore
    than3,500reportedcasessinceOctober.
    ThelinkwithZikahasnotbeenconfirmed.
    Butsomebabieswhodiedhadthevirusintheirbrainandithasbeendetectedinplacentaand
    amnioticfluidtoo.
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    WheredidZikacomefrom?
    ItwasfirstidentifiedinmonkeysinUgandain1947.
    ThefirsthumancasewasdetectedinNigeriain1954andtherehavebeenfurtheroutbreaksin
    Africa,SouthEastAsiaandthePacificIslands.

    MostweresmallandZikahasnotpreviouslybeenconsideredamajorthreattohumanhealth.
    ButinMay2015itwasreportedinBrazilandhasspreadrapidly.
    Ithassincealsobeenreportedin:Barbados,Bolivia,Colombia,theDominicanRepublic,
    Ecuador,ElSalvador,FrenchGuiana,Guatemala,Guadeloupe,Guyana,Haiti,Honduras,
    Martinique,Mexico,Panama,Paraguay,PuertoRico,SaintMartin,SurinameandVenezuela.
    "Itscurrentexplosivepandemicreemergenceis,therefore,trulyremarkable,"theUSNational
    InstitutesofHealthsaid.

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    Zikaoutbreak:WhatyouneedtoknowBBCNews

    Howdoesitspread?

    GettyImages

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    Zikaoutbreak:WhatyouneedtoknowBBCNews

    ItisspreadbyAedesmosquitoes.
    TheyarefoundthroughouttheAmericasexceptforCanadaandChilewhereitistoocoldfor
    themtosurvive.
    Iftheydrinkthebloodofaninfectedpersontheycantheninfectsubsequentpeopletheybite.

    Theyarethesameinsectsthatspreaddengueandchikungunyavirus.
    And,unlikethemosquitoesthatspreadmalaria,theyaremostlyactiveduringtheday,sobed
    netsofferlimitedprotection.
    TheWHOexpectsZikatospreadthroughouttheAmericas,butotherscientistshavewarned
    thatcountriesinAsiacouldfacelargeoutbreakstoo.

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    Whatcanpeopledo?
    Asthereisnotreatment,theonlyoptionistoreducetheriskofbeingbitten.
    Healthofficialsadvisepeopleto:
    useinsectrepellents
    coverupwithlongsleevedclothes
    keepwindowsanddoorsclosed
    Themosquitoeslaytheireggsinstandingwater,sopeoplearealsobeingtoldtoemptybuckets
    andflowerpots.
    TheUSCentersforDiseaseControlhasadvisedpregnantwomennottotraveltoaffected
    areas.

    Whatisbeingdone?

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    Zikaoutbreak:WhatyouneedtoknowBBCNews

    GettyImages

    TheBrazilianHealthMinister,MarceloCastro,hassaidanewtestingkitisbeingdevelopedto
    identifyinfectionsquickly.
    Healsosaidmoremoneywasbeingputintothedevelopmentofavaccine.
    Somescientistsarealsotriallingtheuseofgeneticallymodifiedsterilemosquitoesthat
    appeartoreducemosquitopopulationsby90%.
    Meanwhile,effortsareunderwaytokillthemosquitoeswithinsecticide.

    AretheOlympicGamesunderthreat?

    AFP

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    RiodeJaneiroisthehostcityforthe2016OlympicGamesfrom5to21August.
    TheBrazilianauthoritieswillbetargetingthemosquitoes'breedinggroundsintherunuptothe
    Games.
    However,itsaysfumigationwillbecarriedoutonlyona"casebycase"basisbecauseof
    potentialhealthconcernsforathletesandvisitors.
    ThereisalsosomehopetherewillbefewermosquitoesinAugustasthemonthisbothcooler
    anddrier.
    FollowJamesonTwitter.

    SharethisstoryAboutsharing

    Moreonthisstory
    Zikavirus:Outbreak'likelytospreadacrossAmericas'saysWHO
    25January2016

    Zika:OlympicsplansannouncedbyRioauthorities
    24January2016

    Zikavirus:ThreeBritonsinfected,sayhealthofficials
    23January2016

    Zikavirustriggerspregnancydelaycalls
    23January2016

    BrazilZika:Themothersfearingfortheirbabies
    22January2016

    BrazilZikaoutbreak:Morebabiesbornwithbirthdefects
    21January2016

    Health

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