There is need for more research on Zika virus

On Monday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a public health emergency over the Zika virus. Brazil has been hit hardest by the outbreak and welcomed the step.
The incubation period (the time from exposure to symptoms) of Zika virus disease is not clear, but is likely to be a few days. The symptoms are similar to other arbovirus infections such as dengue, and include fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise, and headache. These symptoms are usually mild and last for 2-7 days.

One major problem is that there is no reliable test to determine whether someone is infected, the WHO said.
Many people do not realize they are infected. Most cases pass relatively harmlessly with a slight temperature, headache, joint pain and skin reddening. There is no vaccine against Zika.

We are told that Zika virus is an emerging mosquito-borne virus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in rhesus monkeys through a monitoring network of sylvatic yellow fever. It was subsequently identified in humans in 1952 in Uganda and in Tanzania. Outbreaks of Zika virus disease have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific.

In just four months, the Zika Virus has become a global issue because of the way it is spreading fast, especially in Brazil. The virus has been linked to causing severe birth defects, including microcephaly where babies are born with smaller heads and usually smaller brains.
Of interest to Uganda is the fact that the virus was first heard of/isolated in Uganda in April 1947. Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) has testing facilities for Zika virus. We need the same medical facility in Tanzania.
As we all know, testing to see what virus is causing what problem, is part of the solution. The other part that needs to be solved is finding treatment and even better, a vaccine.
For all the times Tanzania has suffered with Dengue, there has been consistently marked improvement in the way the disease was dealt with. This shows that we have the capacity to develop systems and mechanisms in dealing with such diseases.

Not much is known about the Zika virus as of now. In fact, although doctors and scientists believe that there is a link between the virus and the birth defect microcephaly, there is no research that actually proves it. Nevertheless, there is reason to believe there is a connection and further studies need to be done.
If given the funding, human resource and partnerships with global research centres, it is possible that our research institutes might be able to find out more about this virus and provide the much needed information on how to deal with it.

Although doctors and scientists believe that there is a link between the virus and the birth defect microcephaly, there is no research that actually proves it. Nevertheless, there is reason to believe there is a connection and further studies need to be done.