Zika virus, a recent concern, i think this presentation will help a lot to all for knowing about the virus.

1. Dr. Arifa Akram Barna
MBBS MD(VIROLOGY)
Department of Virology
Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research
(IEDCR), DHAKA.

2. Zika is a virus spread by mosquitoes, which can cause fever, rash,
joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red or pink eyes). Most people
infected with Zika virus do not even get sick.
Virology
Zika virus belongs to the Flaviviridae and the genus Flavivirus,
and thus related to dengue, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis,
and West Nile viruses.
Zika virus is enveloped and icosahedral and has a nonsegmented,
single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome.

4. Countries reported Zika Virus

5.  Zika virus is transmitted to people primarily through the
bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito (A. aegypti and
A. albopictus). These are the same mosquitoes that spread
dengue and chikungunya viruses which can breed in a pool
of water as small as a bottle cap and usually bite during the
day.
 pregnant mother who has been bitten by an infected
mosquito to her baby during pregnancy or around the time
of birth.
 Recently, sexual transmission.

7.  About 1 in 5 people infected become ill (i.e., develop
Zika).
 The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash,
joint pain, or conjunctivitis (red eyes).
 Other common symptoms include muscle pain and
headache.
 The incubation period (the time from exposure to
symptoms) for Zika virus disease is not known, but is
likely to be a few days to a week.
 The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for
several days to a week.
 Deaths are rare.

8.  The possibility that the Zika virus causes
microcephaly – unusually small heads and damaged
brains – emerged only in October”15, when doctors
in northern Brazil noticed a surge in babies with the
condition.
 It may be that other factors, such as simultaneous
infection with other viruses, are contributing to the
rise; investigators may even find that Zika virus is
not the main cause, although right now
circumstantial evidence suggests that it is.

9.  Babies with microcephaly have unusually small heads.
 But in the remainder of cases, the infant’s brain may not have developed
properly during pregnancy or may have stopped growing in the first
years of life. These children may experience a range of problems, like
developmental delays, intellectual deficits or hearing loss.
 Genetic abnormalities are a common cause. Microcephaly can also be
triggered by infections of the fetus, including German measles (also
known as rubella), toxoplasmosis (a disease caused by a parasite found
in undercooked contaminated meat and cat feces) and cytomegalovirus.
 Microcephaly may also result if a pregnant woman consumes alcohol, is
severely malnourished or has diabetes. If the defect occurs in a child’s
first years, it may be a result of a brain injury during labor.
 There is no treatment for an unusually small head.

10.  During the first week after onset of symptoms, diagnosed
by performing reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain
reaction (RT-PCR) on serum.
 Virus-specific IgM and neutralizing antibodies typically
develop toward the end of the first week of illness; cross-
reaction with related flaviviruses (e.g., dengue and yellow
fever viruses) is common and may be difficult to discern.
Plaque-reduction neutralization testing can be performed
to measure virus-specific neutralizing antibodies and
discriminate between cross-reacting antibodies in primary
flavivirus infections.

11. Algorithm for Pregnant Patient

12. Is there a treatment? -No.
 The C.D.C. does not recommend a particular antiviral
medication for people infected with the Zika virus.
Treat the symptoms:
 Get plenty of rest.
 Drink fluids to prevent dehydration.
 Take medicine such as acetaminophen to reduce fever and
pain.
 Do not take aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-
inflammatory drugs.

13.  Protection is difficult in mosquito-infested regions.
 There is no vaccine against the Zika virus. Efforts to make one
have just begun, and creating and testing a vaccine normally
takes years and costs hundreds of millions of dollars.
 Because it is impossible to completely prevent mosquito bites,
the C.D.C. has advised pregnant women to avoid going to
regions where Zika is being transmitted, and has advised
women thinking of becoming pregnant to consult doctors
before going.
 Travelers to these countries are advised to avoid or minimize
mosquito bites by staying in screened or air-conditioned rooms
or sleeping under mosquito nets, wearing insect repellent at all
times and wearing long pants, long sleeves, shoes and hats.

14. 1. Eliminate standing water in and around your home:
 Once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or
throw out items that hold water, such as tires, buckets, planters,
toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpots, or trash containers. Check
inside and outside your home.
 Tightly cover water storage containers (buckets,
 cisterns, rain barrels) so that mosquitoes cannot get inside to
lay eggs.
 For containers without lids, use wire mesh with holes smaller
than an adult mosquito.
2. If you have a septic tank, follow these steps:
 Repair cracks or gaps.
 Cover open vent or plumbing pipes. Use wire mesh with holes
smaller than an adult mosquito.

15. 3. Keep mosquitoes out of your home
 Use screens on windows and doors.
 Repair holes in screens.
 Use air conditioning when available.
4. Prevent mosquito bites
 Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin,
picaridin (KBR 3023),IR3535 (3-[N-butyl-N-acetyl]-aminopropionic
acid) or oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-menthane 3, 8-diol (PMD)]
according to the instructions on the product label. When used as
directed on the product label, insect repellents containing DEET,
picaridin, and IR3535 are safe for pregnant women.
 Treat clothing and gear (such as boots, pants, socks, and tents) with
permethrin or purchase permethrin-treated clothing and gear.
 Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants

16.  The World Health Organization has declared the Zika virus an
international public health emergency, prompted by growing
concern that it could cause birth defects. As many as four
million people could be infected by the end of the year.
Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
have urged pregnant women against travel to about two dozen
countries, mostly in the Caribbean and Latin America, where
the outbreak is growing.
 The infection appears to be linked to the development of
unusually small heads and brain damage in newborns. Some
pregnant women who have been to these regions should be
tested for the infection, the agency said. Here are some
answers and advice about the outbreak.

17. No.
Outbreaks of Zika previously have been reported in
tropical Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands.
Zika virus likely will continue to spread to new areas.
In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization
(PAHO) issued an alert regarding the first confirmed
Zika virus infection in Brazil.
Are you immune for life once infected?
Once a person has been infected, he or she is likely to
be protected from future infections.