Looking into the dengue virus, chikungunya and Zika virus, videographics by AFP TV
DENGUE, chikungunya and Zika come from the same family of viruses.
They are transmitted by the ‘Aedes’ mosquito, Aedes aegypti and the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus. Ahedes aegypti is mainly found in the tropics, while the Asian tiger mosquito is found in both tropical and temperate climates, invading the Americas and even Europe.
The three illnesses have several symptoms in common – fever, headache, and flulike aches. The chikungunya virus can cause debilitating joint pain, although this generally eases after a few days or weeks. Less widespread and until recently, less studied, the Zika virus is hard to detect and often passes unnoticed. Any symptoms are generally mild and may include skin rashes and conjunctivitis.
Pregnant women are particularly at risk….outbreaks of the Zika virus have been linked to an increase in babies born with the birth defect microcephaly.
According to the World Health Organisation, half the world’s population are at risk of dengue. Severe dengue or dengue haemorrhagic fever is a leading cause of hospitalisation and death among in Asia and Latin America. Once a patient has had dengue, they should be immune for life…but only against that particular strain.
The best prevention against all these illnesses is to avoid mosquito bites altogether. In highrisk areas, people are warned to empty, clean or cover containers that can hold water in order to reduce places where mosquitoes can breed.
Source: World Health Organisation
