Editorial Volume 3 Issue 1
Department of Medical Virology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Correspondence: Lynne Margaret Webber, Department of Medical Virology, University of Pretoria, TAD NHLS (National Health Laboratory Service), Pretoria, South Africa, PO Box 39224, Garsfontein East, Tel 082 555 7724
Received: January 12, 2016 | Published: January 13, 2016
Citation: Webber LM (2016) Emerging Arboviral Infections: The Importance of Epidemiology. J Hum Virol Retrovirol 3(1): 00077. DOI: 10.15406/jhvrv.2016.03.00077
Epidemiology; Zika virus; DNA; Viral zoonoses; Disease; Infection
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:
Epidemiologic practices and viral zoonoses are geographically interlinked and selected examples within the African context are listed, namely:
Animals play a significant role within public health practices and viral zoonoses continue to threaten public health.6-12
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
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.
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©2016 Webber. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.