THE ZIKA THREAT.

The Zika virus,transmitted by the bite of Aedes aegypti. The mosquito vectors breed in domestic water holding containers,living in urban areas and are aggressive day-time feeders,though they feed at any time.The virus can affect any age group but pregnant women are so vulnerable with dire consequences in their babies. The virus stays 2-7 days in the blood of an infected person,thus infected people should be protected from further mosquito bites to prevent spread to more people.The basic methods to prevent infection is to prevent mosquito bites.The Aedes aegypti is also responsible for yellow fever,has been known to adapt to cold climate thus the widespread nature of the infection. The Zika virus outbreak in Latin America could be a bigger threat to global health than the Ebola epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people in Africa, claims several senior health experts ahead of an emergency meeting of the World Health Organisation. Where they will decide whether the Zika threat – which is linked to an alarming rise in cases of foetal deformation called microcephaly – should be rated a global health crisis. Jeremy Farrar, head of the Wellcome Trust, said “In many ways the Zika outbreak is worse than the Ebola epidemic of 2014-15,” “Most virus carriers are symptom less and It is a silent infection in a group of highly vulnerable individuals ( pregnant women) – that is associated with a horrible outcome for their babies.” There is no prospect of a vaccine for Zika at present, in contrast to Ebola, for which several are now under trial. “The real problem is that trying to develop a vaccine that would have to be tested on pregnant women is a practical and ethical nightmare,” added Mike Turner, head of infection and immuno-biology at the Wellcome Trust. At least 80% of those infected show no symptoms ,making tracking the disease extremely difficult. The mosquito species that spreads Zika, Aedes aegypti, has been expanding its range over the past few decades. “It loves urban life and has spread across the entire tropical belt of the planet, and of course that belt is expanding as global warming takes effect,” added Farrar. The Zika threat, can be contained with the use of insecticides to eradicate Aedes aegypti , mosquito nets and bedding's and clearing environment of stagnant water.