Elias Soued

Symptoms of the Zika Virus:

Sometimes people who get infected with the Zika virus wont develop symptoms at
first or may only develop mild symptoms which may include similar symptoms to the
common cold or the flu. Because these symptoms are either mild or non-existent, many
people dont get sick enough to go to the hospital/ doctor.

Fever: the body temperature will increase. It can cause sweating, chills,
dehydration, and headaches.
Rash: A change on the color of the skin, appearance and/ or texture. It might be
localized in one part or throughout the body. It can cause itching, dry or crusted
skin.
Headache: a continuous pain in the head. Depending on its severity, it can
interfere with the persons abilities to perform routine functions.
Joint pain: discomfort, pain, or inflammation arising from any part of a joint in the
body.
Conjunctivitis (red eyes): is the inflammation of the eyes. It can cause continuous
watery eyes and other discharges and crusting around the eyes, swelling, itching
of the eyes
Muscle pain: soreness and achenes in the muscles that range from mild to
severe. Depending on the severity, it could interfere with the bodys ability to
move, or doing physical activities.

Historical treatments:
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There are currently no definitive treatments such as vaccines available to control

the Zika virus. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends preventative steps
to protect ourselves from contracting the disease in the first place.

Preventative Treatment: The best treatment is to prevent getting sick in the first
place. Therefore, the CDC recommends the following preventative steps:

1. To reduce the risk of getting the virus, the CDC recommends that people not
travel to areas affected by the Zika outbreak.
2. They also recommend controlling the mosquitos population. If caring for a
person who has the virus, they recommend that the caregiver not touch any
blood or body fluids or surfaces that have blood or body fluids on them with
exposed skin.
3. Wash hands right away after a caregiver has provided care to the infected
person.

If infected, a person should follow the recommended treatment below (by the CDC):

1. An infected person should treat the symptoms of the disease: (fever, pain,
headaches, rash, etc) by:
2. Get plenty of rest: Resting gives your body to boost its strength and its immune
system to better fight diseases.
3. Drink fluids to keep the body hydrated and help reduce the fever.
4. Take medicine to reduce the fever (Tylenol, Motrin, etc..)
5. Do not take Asprin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs without
consulting with a doctor, to reduce the risk of bleeding. Also tell your doctor if you
are taking any other medication to treat other symptoms.

Current Day Treatment:

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Not much in terms of vaccines or medicine has developed in recent years,

however there are several companies that are currently researching and testing
vaccines for the future.

The US Food and Drug Administration approved the first human clinical trial Zika
vaccine in 2016, but vaccines that are being developed by such companies are not
likely to be widely available to infected patients within the next ten years.

The CDCs recommendations for preventatives and treatment measures are the
same as listed under Historical Treatments.

The Medical community including the World Health Organization is especially

worried about the transmission of the virus from the mother to her unborn baby.
Therefore, they are calling for efforts to focus especially on developing a vaccine that
are safe to use on pregnant women.

A full description:
Zeka is a virus which can cause fever, headaches, joint and muscle pain, skin
rash, and conjunctivitis among other symptoms. While about 75% of infected patients
will show no such symptoms. The virus can affect animals and humans old and young.
Even pregnant mothers can pass it on to their babies.

The Zika virus is a single stranded RNA virus that follows the same structure as
other Flaviviridae viruses. It has a circular shape with studs extending outwards. It
contains a nucleocapsid about 25 to 30 nm in diameter. It is surrounded by a host
membrane that contains envelope proteins E and M.

The Zika virus is related to the dengue yellow fever and West Nile viruses. It is
mainly spread by daytime active aedes mosquito bites, but it can be transmitted through
human contact through blood or other body fluids. For instance, an infected mother
could pass the virus on to her baby; a caregiver could get the virus if they touch infected
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blood or other fluids. The Zika name was given after the Ziika Forest of Uganda, Africa
because thats where its thought to have originated.

Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/zika/symptoms/symptoms.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zika_virus