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Keywords: Epidemiology; Zika virus; DNA; Viral zoonoses; Disease; Infection
Introduction
Epidemiology is the study of patterns, causes and effects of health and disease conditions, within defined human and/or animal populations [1,2]. Epidemiology shapes public health policy decisions and includes evidence-based practice by identifying risk factors for disease and by pursuing targets for preventive health care [1-4]. Epidemiology is also the study of human populations and addresses the following functions, namely:
- Discovering the agent, host and environmental factors;
- Determining the cause of illness, disability and death;
- Identifying risk-health determinants and
- Evaluating current health programmes and services [5,6].
Epidemiologic practices and viral zoonoses are geographically interlinked and selected examples within the African context are listed, namely:
- Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever;
- Dengue Virus;
- Ebola disease;
- Foot- and- mouth disease;;
- Lassa Fever;
- Marburg disease;
- Measles;
- Rabies;
- Rift Valley Fever;
- Sindbis virus;
- Middelburg virus;
- And rotaviral gastroenteritis [7-12].
Animals play a significant role within public health practices and viral zoonoses continue to threaten public health [6-12].
Discussion
Zika virus is an emerging viral disease in African, Asian, and recently South American countries [13,14]. It is related to Dengue, Yellow Fever, West Nile and Japanese Encephalitis viruses, all members of the family Flaviviridae [13]. Human to human transmission has been widely contested and sexual transmission and the result of Zika virus DNA in human amniotic fluid indicates another mode of foetal infection [15]. The Zika virus is spread through mosquito bites and Zika virus infection in pregnant women with subsequent birth defects is being investigated in Brazil [16].
Conclusion
No vaccine exists to prevent Zika virus disease and the only way to prevent Zika virus infection is through avoiding mosquito bites, which occur mostly during the daytime.
References
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- Parra JM, Salmeron O, Velasco M (2014) First case of Ebola acquired outside Africa. N Eng J Med 371(25): 2439-2440.
- van Niekerk S, Stacey H, June W, van Wilpe E, Marthi P, et al. (2015) Sindbis and Middelburg old world alphaviruses associated with neurologic diseases in horses, South Africa. Emerg Infect Dis 21(12): 2225-2229.
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- Duffy MR, Chen TH, Hancock WT, Powers AM, Kool JL, et al. (2009) Zika virus outbreak on Yap Island, Federated States of Micronesia. N Eng J Med 360(24): 2536-2543.
- CDC (2016) National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID).
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