Zika Virus Disease and its Causes in Pregnancy
What is Zika?
It is a virus transmitted by mosquito bites.
In which countries does Zika occur?
It was first identified in Africa and Southeast Asia. Recently, it has attracted attention with its outbreak in Central and South America, and then in North America and sporadically in Europe.
Has there been a Zika virus incident in Turkey?
January 2016 records did not happen with prestige.
How is the virus transmitted?
It is mostly transmitted by the bite of Aedes mosquitoes living in tropical regions.
What are the symptoms of the disease?
May not cause any symptoms. It usually begins with symptoms of headache, weakness, malaise, and fever exceeding 38 degrees, resembling a flu picture. In addition, skin rashes can lead to distinctive complaints such as severe pain behind the eyes.
If it infects pregnant women, can it be passed on to the baby?
Yes.
What does a mother who has an infection during pregnancy do to her baby?
The first leads to miscarriage. Secondly, it disrupts the brain development of babies and causes the head diameter to remain small. The medical name for this condition is “microcephaly”.
Zika virus causes calcification in the brain tissue of the infected baby, impairing its development and as a result babies with very small head diameters are born. Mental retardation is often an unavoidable consequence in these children. This is not something that can be fixed later, so it is permanent.
After the Zika virus outbreak in Brazil last year, 3500 babies with microcephaly were born.
A third effect is that it impairs the eyesight of babies. Sometimes it can lead to blindness.
Is there a cure for Zika virus?
No, there is currently no known cure to eradicate the problems caused by the virus, but work on developing a vaccine continues…
What precautions can we take against Zika virus now?
There is no such infection in our country now. The natural habitats of the virus are South America, Southeast Asia and Africa.
Women who are considering pregnancy and pregnant women, if they are planning a trip to these geographies, should cancel it.
Pregnant women living in areas where the virus is present can take precautions against mosquito bites (such as wearing long sleeves and socks, spending time in an air-conditioned residential environment during the day, using mosquito repellent sprays when going out).
Improvements will be added to quite a few sites.
