【Week 2】茲卡病毒

Zika Virus Infection Fast Facts

Updated 1416 GMT (2216 HKT) July 29, 2016

By CNN Library

Facts:

       Zika virus outbreaks occurred in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands prior to 2015.

       Zika is primarily transmitted through the bite of an infected female Aedes aegypti mosquito. It becomes infected from biting an infected human and then transmits the virus to another person. The virus can also be transmitted from a pregnant woman to her fetus, through sexual contact, blood transfusion, or by needle.

       Zika virus outbreaks occurred in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands prior to 2015. In July 2016, the CDC estimated there were at least 50 countries and territories with active Zika virus transmissions.

Vaccines:

       Unlike some of those viruses, there is no vaccine to prevent Zika or a specific medicine to treat the infection.

       In a February 2016, the WHO reported, "Although at least 15 groups are working on Zika vaccines, WHO estimates that it will be at least 18 months before vaccines could be tested in large-scale trials." The FDA approved the first human trial of a Zika vaccine in June 2016.

*FDA:Food and Drug Administration

Zika and Pregnancy:

       Zika is commanding attention because of an alarming connection between the virus and microcephaly(小頭畸形症), a neurological(神經的) disorder that results in babies being born with abnormally small heads. Microcephaly can cause severe developmental issues and sometimes death. 

       It was reported that a pregnant woman infected with the Zika virus during her first trimester of pregnancy has a one to 13% chance that her baby will have microcephaly.

       According to the CDC, there is no evidence that previous infection will affect future pregnancies.

*CDC:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Excerpt from: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/18/health/zika-virus-infection-fast-facts/index.html

Structure of the Lead:

What: Zika virus

When: From 2015 to 2016

Where: Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands

How: By a bite of infected female Aedes aegypti mosquitos

Why: Not given

Who: Not given

Keywords:

Infection (n.)傳染

outbreak (v.)爆發

transmit (v.)傳遞

fetus (n.)胎兒

vaccine (n.)疫苗

large-scale (a.)大規模的

human trial (n.)人體實驗

pregnancy (n.)懷孕

trimester (n.)三個月

evidence (n.)證據