The Disease’s History

The Zika virus was initially identified in Uganda during the late 1940s. It started out as a mosquito-borne disease that triggered short-term symptoms in victims. However, it’s important to note that Zika virus is not the only mosquito-borne disease.

Zika took its time, spreading worldwide, and mutating along the way. Now, it’s been identified stateside and recent research indicates that the Zika virus may be seuxually transmitted way. It has now docked on American shores with very nasty new tricks as it can now be transmitted through sexual contact.

New York Times reporter Donald G. McNeil Jr. told NPR, that Researchers are gob smacked by this virus’ due to its ability to be contracted sexually.

This was soon after the World Health Organization projected that the United States was about to be smashed hard by Zika. This brings about the question as to whether Zika should be recommended in STD test.

“Viruses mutate in various ways, but one thing they don’t change is how they’re transferred. You can’t anticipate a mosquito-borne virus to translate into something that can be transmitted an unprotected sex. Nevertheless, this one is.”

Zika virus turns up in various bodily fluids as well as semen and vaginal secretions, discloses Aileen M. Marty, MD, FCAP the director of the Florida International University Health Travel Medicine Program.

Dr. Marty who is also a Professor of Infectious Diseases at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine observed that Sexual spread is primarily through semen adding that it has also been transferred from women to men, especially for chances when a woman with Zika virus was experiencing her monthly periods.

Zika Virus Harbored in Vaginal fluids

The Medic continued to explain that Zika virus could be harbored in vaginal emissions, so it is also hypothetically possible to transmit Zika from females to males. Dr. Marty pointed out that it is persons who were completely unaware of their Zika contagions have conveyed it to others sexually disclosing that only one in every five patients who contracts the virus show symptoms.

Gary Mazer, MD, Director of Emergency Management and Employee Health Services at New York City’s CityMD revealed that even those who show symptoms like fever, red eyes joint pain and rash may overlook or misattribute.

In an interview, Edward McCabe, Managing Director and former Chief Medical Officer of the March of Dimes revealed that Zika had capacity to spread widely. In fact, as of today, almost all states in the US have recorded the cases.

This has a particular worry to Dr. McCabe and the March of Dimes since Zika virus does not typically cause serious or lasting indications in its victims, it is connected with serious and life- threatening birth defects in children born to pregnant women infested by Zika, plus microcephaly (in which the infant is born with an unusually minute head) and may be related to Guillain-Barré syndrome, a neurological syndrome that causes paralysis.

Contributor: admin