There is a virus going around, and it quickly gained infamy for the immense amount of people who became infected by the virus. The Zika virus was first isolated in The Zika forest, In Uganda, a rhesus monkey in 1947 was found having this virus and it was found later in humans in 1954. The Zika virus is spreading far and at a high rate. The virus outbreak has occurred in many places like South America, Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, Pacific Islands, and Cape Verde. People travelling to these places are sometimes coming back with the virus could cause more outbreaks happen at different places. There already are alerts for people travelling to these places. These alerts are to restrict the spread of the virus. Brazil had a major outbreak in May 2015. People traveling there are on high alert. This virus is causing many people emotional and physical suffering.

The transmission of this virus has many mediums of getting to people. The main way is through mosquitoes. Mosquitoes spread this disease when drinking the blood of infected people. These mosquitoes are called Aedes mosquitoes, and they are aggressive daytime biters. Another way of being transmitted is sexual activities. Since the virus stays longer in semen than blood. The illness from this virus is usually mild with symptoms lasting for many days. People don’t get so sick enough that they would choose to go to hospitals. States are starting to get Zika virus cases, and Texas hospitals are developing quick Zika virus detection tests.

There are many symptoms that form from the virus. The most common symptoms of the Zika virus are fever, rash, joint pain, muscle pain, red eyes, loss of appetite, vomiting, chills, sweating, fatigue, and headache. Fevers around 101.3 degrees and swelling of small joints in fingers and feet. Inflammation in the surface of the eye causing conjunctivitis. This causes stickiness and pain. The rash creates red spots to form and generally they are clumped together in one place. They don’t leave any long term marks and heals when the virus heals as well. This virus can cause more issues for pregnant women. The mothers can give birth to babies with birth defects called microcephaly. This causes babies to have much smaller heads than expected. This happens when the brain doesn’t develop properly during pregnancy. The Zika virus would first infect to the pregnant woman and then it would be passed down to her fetus. When the Zika virus goes through the placental barrier then the development is at risk. The small head could cause brain damage to the babies either during or after pregnancy. This causes people emotional pain when they see their child going through this.
Treatments for this virus are not cures, and there are no vaccines for people. To treat the symptoms get plenty of rest. Drink lots of fluids to avoid dehydration. Take medicine like Tylenol to help with the fever and the pain. Aspirin shouldn’t be taken. Also if required, talk to your doctor for any more additional medicine. To prevent the transmission of the virus make sure to spray yourselves with EPA insect repellent. Also try to wear long sleeve shirts and long pants. When going to sleep, the CDC recommends getting a bed net to prevent mosquitoes from biting you in your sleep. The Zika virus may be difficult for some people to tolerate, but people shouldn’t just give up on trying to go against the virus.