Zika Virus: A Growing Concern

You have probably heard a lot about Zika virus lately, and if you have patients who have recently traveled to Central or South America, they may have concerns. A lot is still being learned about this virus, and it is important to stay up-to-date on what we know.

What Are the Origins of the Zika Virus?

According to the CDC, the Zika virus was first identified in 1947 and was named after Uganda’s Zika forest. The first known case of the virus appearing in a human was in 1952. Outbreaks have occurred in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands but did not draw a lot of attention. Because the symptoms are often mild, the virus is often mistaken for other illnesses and no treatment is sought.

Zika virus began to make the news in 2015 when many Brazilian women began given birth to babies with microcephaly, very small heads, and the cause was linked to Zika virus. On February 1, 2016, the World Healt Organization (WHO) declared it a public health emergency of international concern. The virus has drawn even more concern because the 2016 summer Olympics are slated to be held in Brazil, which puts both athletes and spectators from all over the world at risk of contracting the disease and bringing it home.

How Does Zika Virus Spread?

The most common way that this virus is spread is through the bite of an infected mosquito. However, this virus can also be transmitted sexually. According to the World Health Organization, “Zika virus has been detected in blood, urine, amniotic fluids, semen, saliva as well as body fluids found in the brain and spinal cord.”

What Are the Symptoms of Zika Virus?

Most people experience very mild symptoms, and some experience no symptoms at all, so they have no idea that they are infected. Common symptoms are low-grade fever and/or a rash. Those infected may also experience conjunctivitis, musculo-skeletal pain, or fatigue. The symptoms typically last only a couple days to a week.

However, there can be more serious complications from this disease. One such case is a significantly increased risk of contracting Guillain-Barré disease, which can lead to paralysis or even death. The other, more widely reported, is the increased risk of microcephaly in infants born to women who contracted the disease during pregnancy.

What Do I Need to Know about Zika Virus and Pregnancy?

In February of 2016, the CDC released a new case study about the effects of Zika virus on unborn children. This study was reported on by Medscape’s Robert Lowes. Lowes states that the report “supports the agency’s suspicion that when pregnant women contract the Zika virus, there is a higher risk for adverse outcomes for the fetus, including microcephaly,” and this risk is greatest when pregnant women contract the disease during the first trimester of their pregnancies.

The study followed the cases of nine pregnant U.S. women who were infected with the Zika virus while traveling abroad.  So far, a woman who contracted the virus during her third trimester, and another who contracted it during the second semester, both delivered healthy babies. Another woman who was sickened with Zika during her second pregnancy trimester has not yet given birth, but the pregnancy is progressing normally.

However, for the six women who got sick with Zika virus during their first trimester, the outcomes have been bleak. Two suffered miscarriages, one delivered a baby with microcephaly, and two aborted their pregnancies. The sixth has not yet delivered her baby. Of the two women who aborted, one did so at the 20-week mark when an ultrasound revealed ventriculomeglay, an absence of the corpus callosem, and brain atrophy. Details about the other aborted fetus were not made available.

You can learn more by reading the CDC’s full report, Zika Virus Infection Among U.S. Pregnant Travelers – August 2015-February 2016, which was published in their Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

What Can Be Done?

Right now, the CDC is recommending that pregnant women not attend the Summer Olympics in Brazil due to their increased risk of adverse outcomes with their pregnancies. They are also advising that all travelers exercise caution and use mosquito repellent if traveling to areas where Zika outbreaks are known.

The CDC is currently sending Zika prevention kits to Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the US Virgin islands to help prevent the spread of the disease. The kits contain informational literature, mosquito repellant, mosquito netting, tablets that kills mosquito larvae in standing water, a digital oral thermometer and condoms.

Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services is working on producing tests, treatments and vaccines for this virus. At the moment, mosquito control, which is difficult, is a top priority.