Zika virus is an infectious disease that was discovered between 2015 and 2016 and spread widely. Although this disease is not fatal, it may have a very serious impact on future generations, and may even It causes symptoms of male infertility, so what are the dangers of Zika virus? Let’s take a look below.
1. What are the dangers of Zika virus?
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing (Reporter Dong Ruifeng) Scientists’ latest research found that Zika virus can cause testicular damage in experimental mice and eventually lead to male Infertility, this finding sheds new light on the potential for Zika virus to impact human health.
The international academic journal "Cell" published online on the 22nd Beijing time the above-mentioned research results of the collaboration between the research team of Professor Li Xiangdong of China Agricultural University and the team of Academician Gao Fu of the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The Zika virus epidemic became a public health issue of international concern in the past period. In the past, researchers’ concerns about Zika virus mainly focused on fetal abnormalities such as miscarriage and neonatal microcephaly. In May 2016, a clinical journal reported that Zika virus can be sexually transmitted and that viral RNA can persist in human semen for a long time, suggesting a new transmission route for this virus and a potential threat to human health.
Dr. Steve Mao, editor of "Cell" magazine, said that the latest research by Chinese scientists has found scientific basis for the transmission of Zika virus through semen, and also clarified the harm that the virus may cause through sexual transmission.
This study shows that Zika virus can break through the blood-testis barrier in mice. Once it breaks through the blood-testis barrier, it will cause testicular interstitial congestion, acute orchitis and epididymitis on the 8th day after infection. The testicular and epididymal tissue atrophied significantly, and the testosterone level decreased significantly. On the 16th day, a large number of sperm cells died and the testicular seminiferous ducts were gradually lost. On the 30th day, the testicles further shrank and the seminiferous tubules further lost their normal structure. On the 60th day, the testicular sperm cells further lost their normal structure. Complete atrophy and loss of tissue structure.
Gao Fu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and deputy director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that as more and more clinical and basic research are conducted, scientists have discovered that the harm of Zika virus to humans exceeds initial imagination.
2. Clinical manifestations of Zika virus
The first is fever, but Zika virus rarely causes high fever, usually low-grade fever, between 37.5 degrees and 38.5 degrees.
The second is maculopapular rash. A type of rash. There is a reddish base of the skin around the papules.
The third is joint pain, mainly in small joints like hands and feet.
The fourth is non-suppurative conjunctivitis, that is, there is congestion but little secretion.
If you have travel reports to South America and have two or more symptoms within 3-12 days, you may be suspected of being infected with the Zika virus.
Other symptoms of infection include myalgia, headache, orbital pain, weakness; abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, mucosal ulcers, and skin itching.
Like most viral infections, there is currently no effective treatment for Zika virus. After humans are infected, the most effective treatment is to rest and drink water to reduce the occurrence of complications. For some influenza viruses, humans have developed vaccines, but there is no vaccine available for Zika virus. What can be done now is to reduce to relevant epidemic areas, avoid contact with mosquitoes, and protect yourself.
There is currently no vaccine. Reducing the sources of Zika virus infection (removal and modification of breeding sites) and reducing mosquito-human contact can reduce the incidence of infection. The following measures are recommended: use insect repellent; wear clothes that cover all parts of the body as much as possible, preferably light-colored clothes; use physical barriers such as screens and closed doors and windows; sleep under a mosquito net. It is also important to empty, keep clean, or cover containers that may hold water, such as buckets, flower pots, or car tires, to remove environments where mosquitoes can breed.
To protect yourself from Zika virus and other mosquito-borne diseases, take the steps above to avoid mosquito bites. Pregnant women or women planning to become pregnant should follow this advice and seek advice from local health authorities when traveling to areas with known Zika virus outbreaks.