A virus called the Zika virus is beginning its travels around the globe. Initially confined mainly to Africa and Asia, last year it jumped to the Western Hemisphere affecting some one million people in Brazil. Now it has spread to Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico and nine other countries. The virus is a mosquito borne virus and causes flu-like symptoms. A possible side effect (which is currently being researched and is of great concern) is that it appears to affect some newborns with microcephaly, a congenital condition wherein babies are born with abnormally small heads and incomplete brain development. The increase in microcephaly in Brazil after the disease appeared there seems to indicate a strong connection between the disease and this condition.
The mosquito known as Aedes is the primary culprit. Diseases like Zika, dengue (breakbone fever) and chikungunya (meaning "that which bends up" because of the contorted physique of the person affected) are all spread by this mosquito. With warmer and moister areas increasing around the globe, mosquito-borne illnesses will increase. Itinerant viruses and even pestilence will continue to plague humans as world conditions worsen.
For more detailed information on Zika, click here.
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