Virus spread by Aedes mosquito might reach Singapore If you have seen those images of babies with deformed skulls floating around the internet, these deformites may be attributed to the Zika virus. On 1 Feb, the World Health Organization (WHO) named the Zika virus as causing a “public health emergency of international concern”. This means that the virus is becoming an international health crisis and puts Zika on the same crisis level as Ebola. The virus — which is mainly spread by the Aedes mosquito — is known to occur around a narrow area near the equator, between Africa and Asia. The exact same area that Singapore is located in. What are the symptoms? The symptoms of Zika include mild fever, conjunctivitis, muscle ache, joint pain, rashes, and headaches. However, according to infectious disease expert Leong Hoe Nam, 90% of the infected do not exhibit the symptoms. In some cases, Guillain-Barre syndrome which is a neurological disorder can cause temporary paralysis. There were also reported links between the virus and microcephaly — a condition where babies are born with smaller than usual brain and heads — in Brazil last year. Source Why does zika require international attention? The virus is spreading rapidly and further from Africa […]
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