Zika virus infection and its emerging trends in Southeast Asia
Journal Title: Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine - Year 2017, Vol 10, Issue 3
Abstract
Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that represents a public health emergency at the ongoing epidemic. Previously, this rare virus was limited to sporadic cases in Africa and Asia until its emergence in Brazil, South America in 2015, where it rapidly spread throughout the world. Recently, a high number of cases were reported in Singapore and other Southeast Asia countries. A combination of factors explains the current Zika virus outbreak although it is highly likely that the changes in the climate and high frequency of travelling contribute to the spread of Aedes vector carrying the Zika virus mainly to the tropical climate countries such as the Southeast Asia. The Zika virus is known to cause mild clinical symptoms similar to those of dengue and chikungunya and transmitted by different species of Aedes mosquitoes. However, neurological complications such as Guillain-Barr´e syndrome in adults, and congenital anomalies, including microcephaly in babies born to infected mothers, raised a serious concern. Currently, there is no specific antiviral treatment or vaccine available for Zika virus infection. Therefore, international public health response is primarily focused on preventing infection, particularly in pregnant women, and on providing up-to-date recommendations to reduce the risk of non-vector transmission of Zika virus.
Authors and Affiliations
Ahmad Ruzain Salehuddin
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP278485
- DOI 10.1016/j.apjtm.2017.03.002
- Views 85
- Downloads 0
Health situation and challenges in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, an island in the Indian Ocean, is 65 610km2 with a population of 21 million (population density 315/km2). It is a low-middle income country with GDP per capita of USD 4 310. However, due to policies of free ed...
Exploring on the elderly health management model in tropic area
In this article, based on the characteristics of tropical area, we analyze the beneficial and the disadvantage of tropical area to human health, points out the existing problems in elderly health management pattern in th...
Annona muricata: Is the natural therapy to most disease conditions including cancer growing in our backyard? A systematic review of its research history and future prospects
Annona muricata (A. muricata) is a tropical plant species belonging to family Annonaceae and known for its many medicinal uses. This review focuses on the research history of its traditional uses, phytochemicals, pharmac...
Rescue effects of aqueous seed extracts of Foeniculum vulgare and Carum carvi against cadmium-induced hepatic, renal and gonadal damage in female albino rats
Objective: To investigate the protective effects of aqueous seed extracts of fennel “Foeniculum vulgare” (FVE) and caraway “Carum carvi” (CCE) on liver, kidney and reproductive organs in female rats against cadmium chlor...
Expression of fibronectin and MMP-3 and its significance in the patients with ankylosing spondylitis
Objective: To observe the expression and significance of fibronectin and metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods: A total of 30 AS patients in our hospital and 30 healthy volunte...