The Plague in the Offing

Photos: AFP

Even a few months ago most of us did not know the word Zika. Shockingly, this microscopic virus of only 40 nanometres in diameter (1 nanometre is a length equal to 1/100,000,000th of a metre) has proven itself as one of the deadliest threats of the current world. According to World Health Organisation, this virus of Flavivirus genus will infect at least 4 million people all over the world in the next couple of months. Within a few weeks of its outbreak in South America, patients carrying Zika virus were detected in the USA, Polynesian islands, Australia and as far as China. Evidently, Bangladesh is also at risk of this mosquito borne menace.

Named after an African Forest in Uganda, this virus was first discovered in a species of rhesus macaque in 1947. Its primary vector is a daytime active mosquito called Aedis Aegypti. Unlike other deadly diseases borne by this particular species of mosquito such as Dengue, Chikungunya and Yellow Fever, Zika fever is not at all life threatening. Common symptoms of Zika fever are not that serious which include; fever, rash, mild headache, conjunctivitis and joint pain which cure automatically within two to seven days of infection.

However, although Zika fever itself is not fatal, complications created by this disease is frightening. It has been found that pregnant mothers infected by Zika virus in Brazil have given birth to babies with microcephaly, a potentially fatal neurological disorder characterised by babies born with small skulls and underdeveloped brains. 

Immune response in human body stimulated by Zika fever is also quite abnormal. It has been found that after being attacked by this virus, the human immune system mistakenly attacks the nervous cells causing rapid muscle weakness and damage to the peripheral nervous system. In the acute phase, this syndrome can be life threatening respiratory muscles get also weakened by this self destructive process. Another alarming discovery is this virus can also be transmitted through sexual intercourse and respiratory droplets.

This is why the whole world is fighting to develop a sustainable preventive measure before it turns pandemic. However, there is still no glimmer of hope. There is no vaccine available to cure this disease. French medicine manufacturer Sanofi Aventis says that they have started research to develop a vaccine but it may take at least 2 years to get results. 

Another effort to control the virus has been identified as a probable cause of the fever's sudden rapid outbreak. A British biotechnology company called Oxitec released genetically modified male Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes three years ago in Brazil. These mosquitoes were supposed to produce offspring that would die before it could breed. However, some scientists are questioning the success of this hastily done project as sudden rise of Zika infection has been detected in the places where those mosquitoes were released.

Professor Mahmudur Rahman, Director, Institute of Epidemiology and Disease Control says, “Since there is no vaccine and specific preventive measure, there is alternative to mosquito control. In Bangladesh, Aedis Aegipty spreads during the rainy season. We are taking precautionary steps to check the breeding of this mosquito.”

Although our Health Minister Mohammad Nasim has denied the fact that Bangladesh is vulnerable to Zika virus infection, the reality is quite different. As the disease has already reached Southeast Asian countries, at anytime this epidemic can also breakout in Bangladesh. It is imperative to train and educate the doctors, health workers and related officials about this disease before it's too late. Otherwise, Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated countries in the world, can be the worst victims of this deadly epidemic.