Natural History of Tuberculosis
Zika virus was first isolated in the late 1940s from a sentinel rhesus monkey, Macaca mulatta, in Zika forest, Uganda. The name of the virus is thus associated with its first place of isolation. Later, the virus was recovered from mosquitos and humans in Uganda, Nigeria, the Central African Republic, Senegal, Malaysia, and Cote d’Ivoire. As the years progress, serological surveys continue to confirm the distribution of the virus infection in other countries such Tanzania, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Egypt, India, Thailand, Borneo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Liberia, Vietnam, and the United States. Today, Zika virus infection, at times called the Zika virus disease, has spread to 62 countries and still projected to increase as a function of changing climatic conditions catalyzing the spread.
Pathophysiology, Signs, and Symptoms of the Zika Virus
The Zika virus is transmitted by sexual transmission and an arthropod, the Aedes mosquito (Shors, 2016). The virus is well-adapted to reside and grow in various hosts, ranging from vertebrates to arthropods. The E-glycoprotein mediates the viral attachment to cellular receptors. Next, an endocytic uptake occurs followed by the uncoating of the nucleocapsid. Then, viral RNA is released into the cytoplasm.
Unlike other infectious diseases, people infected with the Zika virus may not even know they have the disease as there may be no severe symptoms at all (CDC, 2016). Actually, people infected with this virus do not get so sick as to seek hospitalization, and rarely die of the disease. However, there are some common signs and symptoms associated with Zika. They include fever, joint pain, rash, and conjunctivitis among others. The incubation period, that is, the time between exposure and the manifestation of the symptoms, is unknown. The signs and symptoms of Zika are highly similar to those of chikungunya and dengue, diseases sharing the same host, Aedes spp mosquitoes. Even worse, recent research following the outbreak of the Zika virus disease in Brazil, it has been identified that there exists a lethal connection between Zika virus infection and birth defects. Specifically, researchers have identified a disturbing link between the infection and a rising curve of microcephaly, a rare congenital brain malfunction. Principally, microcephaly is a condition in which children are born with much smaller brains as compared to those of those same age and sex but from uninfected mothers. In addition to microcephaly, zika infection has been discovered to have such a close association with the rising cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). GBS is a disorder in which one’s immune system destroys the nerve cells.
The Three Parts of the Epidemiological Triangle
The epidemiologic triangle refers to a model used for studying health problems. The model enables people understand not only the infectious disease but also how they are spread. As the name suggests, it has three corners: agent, host, and environment. Breaking any one side of the triangle means disrupting the connection, and thus stopping the spread of the disease. The agent refers to the microbe responsible for the disease. In the case of the Zika virus, the agent is the Aedes mosquito, including Aedes hensilli, Aedes africanus, Aedes furcifer, Aedes vittatus, Aedes luteocephalus, Aedes aegypti, and Aedesapicoargenteus. While the agent is the microbe that causes the disease, it is not always sufficient.
The host refers to the individual harboring the disease. Put differently, host denotes the organism who houses the infecting microbe. In the case of the Zika virus disease, therefore, the host can be both a person and the Aedes mosquito. A person transmits the disease through sexual intercourse, and the mosquito through biting. There are various host factors that influence that contribute to contracting the Zika virus disease. These factors include but not limited to: genetic composition, anatomic structure, psychological makeup, immunologic and nutritional status, and medications.
Environmental factors affecting the spread of the Zika virus are extrinsic in nature and affect either a person’s opportunity of exposure to infective bacilli or the agent. Such factors include climatic conditions the agent, lack of access to medical care, and sanitation among many others.
Communicability and Prevalence of the Zika Virus
The communicability of the Zika virus is low as it requires either one to have an infected mosquito’s biting or sexual intercourse with a sick person. Although one can control the latter, it is quite challenging to control the former.
In terms of prevalence, the spread of Zika virus has been growing steadily over time. In 2007, for instance, 78% of the population in the Federated States of Micronesia were infected. In 2015, between 440, 000 and 1, 300, 000 Brazilians were infected (Shors, 2016).
Factors Contributing to the Spread of the Zika Virus
The factors contributing to the spread of the Zika Virus fall into three main categories: changing climatic conditions, globalization, and sexual promiscuity. Due to the greenhouse effect, the world is increasingly becoming warmer providing better environments for mosquitoes to survive. In terms of globalization, the agent for the Zika virus is considerably a weak flyer flying only for about 400 meters. Hence, the migration of these mosquitoes from one region to another is highly dependent on the movement of humans. As movement and migrations continue to assume a rising curve, so are people serving as the vehicles through which these Aedes mosquito reach new regions. Finally, the moral fiber is weakening by the day and people are becoming more sexually promiscuous than never before. This trend further fuels the prevalence rates of the Zika virus.
Evidence-Based Management Modalities
The evidence-based management modalities revolve around travel advisories, prevention of mosquito bites, and mosquito-control measures. Prior to visiting new regions, it is imperative for people to consult with qualified medical personnel in order to know potential risks and means of ameliorating them. Some of the measures of preventing bites include wearing long clothing, sleeping under mosquito nets, and using insect-repellent oils. Also, people should practice protected sex to avoid sexual transmission.
Status of the Zika Virus as Compared to the Goals and Objectives of Healthy People 2020
Unfortunately, the status of the Zika virus has failed to fully resonate with the goals and objectives of healthy People 2020. The goal of Healthy People 2020 is to better respiratory health through better prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and public enlightenment. While this goal seems so sound, the ways of preventing the transmission have proved insurmountable mainly due to their global magnitude. For example, stopping the massive movement of people would mean stopping political upheavals mainly in the middle-East, dealing with poverty in Africa, and fighting against globalization in terms of people moving from one domestic market to another in search for better jobs, contracts, and education
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (CDC). (2016, June 21). Zika Virus: Symptoms, Testing, and Treatment. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/zika/symptoms/index.html
Shors, T. (2016). Understanding viruses. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
