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Zika infection

Introduction. 

Zika virus infections are newly re-emerged infections brought into the world-wide vocabulary following a large number of cases of microcephaly in newborns in South America in 2015.

The Pathogen

Zika virus is an enveloped ssRNA virus in the Flavivirus family. It is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes (arbovirus) as well as from mother to fetus and via sexual contact (STD)

Symptoms/Pathogenesis

Symptoms include fever. rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis. Pregnant women may pass the virus to their fetus, in which case severe birth defects, in particular microcephaly, are common.

Treatment

supportive

References/Links

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/zika
  2. http://www.cmcd.org/zika-virus
  3. https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/pdf/10.1055/s-0036-1592071.pdf

Summary