Now That Zika Virus Was Sexually Transmitted, Is Malaysia Ready IF There's An Outbreak?
Just one day after the World Health Organisation deemed the Zika virus as an international health emergency, a case of the virus infection transmitted by sex, rather than a mosquito bite, was discovered in Texas.
By Sadho Ram — 04 Feb 2016, 04:10 AM
A case of Zika virus infection transmitted through sexual intercourse, rather than a mosquito bite, was discovered in Texas, the New York Times reported, adding that it's "a development" that is "sure to complicate plans to contain a global epidemic"
The Dallas County Health and Human Services Department reported that a patient with the Zika virus was infected after having sex with someone who had returned from Venezuela, where Zika is circulating.
“This opens up a whole new range of prevention issues,” said Dr. William Schaffner, chief of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical School.
Still, he cautioned that sexual transmission is probably rare compared with the viral spread by mosquitoes, taking place in more than 20 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean.
“Mosquito transmission is the highway, whereas sexual transmission is the byway,” Dr. Schaffner said. “Sexual transmission cannot account for this sudden and widespread transmission of this virus.”
nytimes.com
The patient, their condition and address have not been identified
In Dallas, the Zika-infected individual is believed to have returned to the US already infected by the disease. The second infected person was a sexual partner of the traveler, but did not travel themselves.
Professor Peter Horby, a professor of tropical medicine and infectious diseases at Oxford University, said that the report of sexual transmission was “not entirely unexpected, but it is certainly unwelcome”.
“It adds weight to the evidence that sexual transmission is a real risk, and raises many questions and dilemmas,” he said. “This highlights our ignorance of this virus and the need for an urgent, comprehensive and coordinated research response.”
theguardian.com
However, it's not the first known case of sexual transmission
A doctor from Colorado returning from Africa in 2008 is thought to have passed on the infection to his wife. There was a case in 2013 in French Polynesia, according to the CDC website.
WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said the latest development would be discussed.
"We certainly understand the concern," he told Reuters news agency. "This needs to be investigated to understand the conditions and how often or likely sexual transmission is, and whether or not other body fluids are implicated".
Moreover, as the Independent reports, despite the transmission in Texas, Zika virus is still not a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI)
A sexually transmitted infection is a condition which is largely passed on during unprotected sexual contact between two people. STIs include HIV/AIDs, chlamydia, genital warts and genital herpes. However, other diseases can also be passed on during intimate and sexual contact, but these are not classed as STIs.
Professor Peter Horby, Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Global Health, Centre of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, told The Independent: "An STI would be an infection where sex is the predominant route of transmission and the infection is maintained in the human population by sexual transmission.
"Neither of these apply to Zika; so it can, probably rarely, be transmitted by sex but it would not be classed as an STI."
According to Jonathan Ball, Professor of Molecular Virology, University of Nottingham, it is not unusual for viruses to be passed on via rare transmission routes. He, however, stressed that men who have potentially exposed should consider taking precautions.
Close home, the Malaysian government has taken preparatory measures against the possible outbreak of Zika virus in the country, according to Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam.
Among the preparatory steps taken to curb the spread of the Zika virus is to create a monitoring system and more effective management of health clinics and hospitals, including creating clinical surveillance for Zika cases, laboratory surveillance for the Zika virus and surveillance for ‘microcephaly’, he said.
Dr Subramaniam said there were no reported cases of Zika virus in the country based on constant surveillance carried out by the ministry.
“Until yesterday, 293 blood samples were taken from patients who showed symptoms of dengue fever but tested negative. They were also tested for Zika virus. All results were negative (for Zika),” he said.
themalaymailonline.com
Malaysians, especially pregnant women, have been told not to travel to the countries where Zika virus cases have been reported
These countries are Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Marti, Suriname, the United States Virgin Islands and Venezuela.
“Although the World Health Organisation (WHO) has not issued travel restrictions to these countries, we are taking precautions by advising Malaysians to postpone travel to the above-listed countries. If forced to travel, they must take preventive measures from being bitten by Aedes mosquitoes and get immediate treatment at the nearest health facility if they have symptoms and signs such as fever, body aches, rashes and conjunctivitis after returning,” he said.
themalaymailonline.com
The deadly Zika virus is transmitted by the bite of Aedes mosquitoes, also known as the Asian tiger mosquitoes. They are found all over the world except Canada and Chile. However, now that Malaysians have been warned about its spread, we are going to look at some of the most vital, and vexing, questions about Zika: