The ABC'S Of ZIKA

The world as we know it has changed-- and it changed on February 1-2016 when the World Health Organization declared ZIKA a public health emergency of international proportions. Overnight, it seemed that the emergence of one obscure virus affected the WHERE of travel, the HOW of dress, the GENESIS of human procreation, and ultimately, the DELIVERY of healthcare--particularly as it relates to the perinatal arena. For those of us on the front line of caring for mothers and babies, every facet of care rendered for patients who MAY or HAVE been exposed to, or infected with ZIKA, is based on what the latest update is--be it from the CDC, OSHA, MMWR, or organizations relating to the oversight of obstetric/pediatric care A SO WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT ZIKA? * We know the virus was discovered in the 1940's, in the ZIKA forest of Entebbe, Uganda; there are two strains of the virus-- Asian and African subtypes * We know it is classified as an Arbovirus--a virus that multiplies IN and is spread BY an insect--in this case a mosquito of the Aedes class. These mosquitos bite during the day and are repelled by bright colored clothing. * We know the virus can spread via multiple venues besides a mosquito--by blood transfusion contaminated by an infected donor ,sexually by MEN and WOMEN, and prenatally--by an infected pregnant woman to her unborn fetus * We know that the virus can be found, not only in the blood of an infected person-but also has be...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news