Zika Virus: Brazil says Emergency is over

Brazil on Thursday has called off the national emergency over Zika Virus after a sharp decrease in the disease. The virus, in 2015 was detected in Latin America before it became the global concern.

Brazil affected by Zika virus

Brazil has informed the World Health Organisation that there has been a decrease in Zika and microcephaly throughout the country. The health ministry informed that since January to April 2017 there has been 7,911 Zika cases which is 95.3% less than before. The disease was at its peak when Brazil was preparing to host Olympics in 2016. However, in November 2016, WHO lifted international emergency status for Zika, which could cause babies to be born with microcephaly or abnormally small heads

What causes Zika?

The Zika virus was first found in Uganda in 1947, which was transmitted through mosquitoes. It can be transmitted through sex and pregnant women can pass it to the foetus. The virus causes birth defects in babies with stunted head growth and can cause miscarriage. It can also cause blindness, deafness and other congenital defects and could also lead to temporary paralysis in adults. The symptoms of the disease are fever, conjunctivitis, rash and joint pain and as such there is no treatment for the disease.

United States at risk

Last November and December, Miami and Texas reported evidence of active Zika virus. The infection in the state was suspected to be travel related. Experts had predicted the outbreak of the virus in the country but mass transmission was unlikely. In March more than 5100 Zika virus cases were reported due to traveling to the affected areas and there were more than 220 locally transmitted cases. Aedes mosquitoes which spread Zika are found in North, Central and South America except Canada and continental Chile. The CDC suspects that the virus will spread to other regions as well.

Analysis

There has been outbreaks of Zika virus in Africa, South East Asia and Pacific islands. Singapore is the only Asian country with active transmission of the Zika virus. This led China to intensify its checks on people and goods arriving from Singapore.  The virus has high chances of moving towards India and could possibly spread to other south Asian countries as well where it could impact people more adversely, possibly forming genetic ground.

Health ministers of the countries are trying to develop a new testing kit to identify infections quickly. Countries are also trying to pool in more money for the development of a vaccine. Scientists are also trialling the use of genetically modified sterile mosquitoes that would reduce the mosquito’s population by 90%. Meanwhile countries are trying to kill the mosquitoes through insecticide. A joint initiative has started between Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and World Health Organisation (WHO) to understand the dynamics of the virus and to find possible health solutions.

Assessment

Considering the spread of many other epidemic diseases and increasing pollution it is likely that such diseases could return back in future with more disastrous effects. WHO should take initiative in developing a vaccine to prevent it from further spreading. Crowding, poverty, lack of sanitation and hygiene which are common in developing countries could create the Zika disease’s ecology, thus such conditions should be treated to prevent the spreading of the disease.