Zika Virus Epidemic Research

This virus later spread to the south and North America, South Asia and some parts of Pacific island. Zika virus is in family Flaviviridae and in genus flavivirus (Fong, 2017). The epidemiological origin of this virus is traced to have come from African contents and later spread to Asia with a narrow equatorial belt. The disease started to be transmitted in the 1950s. From Asia, the disease later spread to the Pacific Ocean and then to French Polynesia and in 2014 the disease got reported in Easter Island. Non Latin Caribbean countries discovered the virus in February, 2016 but reached its peak in July, 2016. The specific countries affected included; Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru and Ecuador. In Central America the countries affected included; Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rika, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras.

In Latin Caribbean the specific countries included Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Haiti, Martinique, and Saint Barthelme. The diseases also reached in Mexico and in most countries of Non-Latin Caribbean (Mesa & Myers, 2015) There are several risk factors which are associated with the outbreak of Zika virus. The environmental ecology also causes the spread of zika virus. There is a great association between the spread of the disease with deforestation. Swampy and watery areas have also been identified to spread this virus. Socioeconomic factors such as high population, poverty and other social factors are also risk factors associated with zika virus (Mesa & Myers, 2015). Traveling effect has also been identified to have enacted the spread of zika virus. Current studies show that breastfeeding reduces the risk of being infected by this virus to the breastfeeding children.

Zika virus is also transmitted through sexual intercourse with an infected person. Zika is spread even if the person infected has not started to show any symptoms. The virus is also spread by people who carry zika virus but never shows the symptoms (Oneha & Dodgson, 2014). Zika virus is also spread through blood transfusion. The governance also gets affected by the outbreak of zika virus. The government allocates resources which may not have been planned for to cater for zika virus. More resources get used up especially if those affected are from the same region (Mesa & Myers, 2015). At times the governments may be forced to send extra manpower to fight the outbreak of zika virus. School functioning would be affected in case of an outbreak of zika virus.

Reporting protocol in case of an outbreak In case one suspects his neighbor as being infected with zika virus, he/she should report to the local health jurisdiction near where the patient resides. Suspected outbreaks are handled by the health care providers who must perform the expected tests to ascertain which diseases the patients are suffering from (Mesa & Myers, 2015). The patients should openly tell the doctor if he/she has visited areas with an outbreak of the same disease. Once an individual is suspected with the symptoms of zika virus which includes pain in the joints, having red eyes, headache, and pain in the muscles and skin rashes, the doctor may then perform serological tests to know if the patient has zika virus.

Another protocol would be to report to the national outbreak reporting system. Offering educational materials to patients is also another way of educating patients. Giving patients handbooks and brochures ensures that patients understand the information clearly. The health workers educating the patients should be keen on who they give the materials to since some patients cannot read and write. Patients may also be educated using digital technologies. If patients cannot read, conversations with such a patient may be better. Community education The second strategy is the community education. It’s upon the government to allocate funds to be used in educating the community on the outbreak of zika virus. The government can as well mobilize human resource to educate members of the community on the same.