Zika Virus Questions and Answers
Here are some important questions and answers about Zika Virus:
1. What kind of virus is Zika virus?
Zika virus is a positive(+) sense, single-stranded RNA virus of the Flaviviridae family, genus Flavivirus.
It is an enveloped virus with an icosahedral nucleocapsid.
Transmission electron micrograph (TEM) with arrow showing a Zika virus particle with an outer envelope and an inner dense core.
2. How is it transmitted?
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The primary route of transmission to humans is through the bite of an infected mosquito. (Aedes species)
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Perinatal, in utero, sexual, and transfusion transmission events have also been reported.
Note: The same Aedes species mosquito transmits dengue and chikungunya viruses.
3. What are the clinical symptoms?
Approximately 1 in 5 people infected with Zika virus become symptomatic. Clinical symptoms include the acute onset of :
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Fever
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Maculopapular rash that often starts on the face and then spreads to the body
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Conjunctivitis
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Arthralgia
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Myalgia
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Headache
Clinical illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week.
“Because of similar geographic distribution and symptoms, patients with suspected Zika virus infections also should be evaluated and managed for possible dengue or chikungunya virus infection. Aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) should be avoided until dengue can be ruled out to reduce the risk of hemorrhage.” - CDC
4. What are some important suspected associations?
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There have been reports of congenital microcephaly in babies of mothers who were infected with Zika virus while pregnant.
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There may be an association with Guillain-Barré Syndrome.
5. How is Zika virus infection diagnosed?
Preliminary diagnosis is based on the patient’s clinical findings, travel history, and activities.
Lab Diagnosis:
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Zika virus RNA detected in an acutely ill patients serum by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
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Positive Zika virus IgM with confirmatory neutralizing antibody titers
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Antibodies typically develop toward the end of the first week of illness
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Cross-reaction with related flaviviruses (ie. dengue) is common
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6. What is the current treatment?
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Supportive.
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No vaccinations are available yet.
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Prevention by avoiding exposure to mosquitos.
7. Will it be on my exam?
This is the burning question for medical students. If it's in the news... it's sexy! 
So there's a good chance you might run into a question on the exam.
So here's a summary of the most testable points:
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Enveloped, iscosahedral, (+) sense, ssRNA virus.
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Transmitted primarily by the same mosquitos that transmit dengue and chikungunya viruses.
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Associated with congenital microcephaly!
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Diagnosed by RT-PCR and/or serology.
Time for some fun:
Photo credits:
- ©2015 Cramunhao Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International CC-BY-SA-4.0
- CDC/ Paul I. Howell, MPH; Prof. Frank Hadley Collins 2007 James Gathany
- CDC/ Cynthia Goldsmith 2016
Comments
Like somebody wanted to have sex with you!lol