Diaz James H
Program in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA.
Wilderness Environ Med. 2016 Dec;27(4):450-457. doi: 10.1016/j.wem.2016.07.006. Epub 2016 Oct 27.
Discovered in 1947 in a monkey in the Zika forest of Uganda, Zika virus was dismissed as a cause of a mild illness that was confined to Africa and Southeast Asia and transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. In 2007, Zika virus appeared outside of its endemic borders in an outbreak on the South Pacific Island of Yap. In 2013, Zika virus was associated with a major neurological complication, Guillain-Barré syndrome, in a larger outbreak in the French Polynesian Islands. From the South Pacific, Zika invaded Brazil in 2015 and caused another severe neurological complication, fetal microcephaly. The mosquito-borne transmission of Zika virus can be propagated by sexual transmission and, possibly, by blood transfusions, close personal contacts, and organ transplants, like other flaviviruses. Since these combined mechanisms of infectious disease transmission could result in catastrophic incidences of severe neurological diseases in adults and children, the public should know what to expect from Zika virus, how to prevent infection, and what the most likely failures in preventive measures will be. With federal research funding stalled, a Zika vaccine is far away. The only national strategies to prepare the United States for Zika virus invasion now are effective vector control measures and personal protection from mosquito bites. In addition to a basic knowledge of Aedes mosquito vectors and their biting behaviors, an understanding of simple household vector control measures, and the selection of the best chemical and physical mosquito repellents will be required to repel the Zika threat.
寨卡病毒于1947年在乌干达寨卡森林的一只猴子身上被发现，当时它被认为是一种只会导致轻微疾病的病原体，这种疾病仅限于非洲和东南亚地区，且由伊蚊传播。2007年，寨卡病毒在南太平洋的雅浦岛爆发，出现在其地方性边界之外。2013年，在法属波利尼西亚群岛的一次更大规模疫情中，寨卡病毒与一种主要的神经系统并发症——格林-巴利综合征有关。寨卡病毒从南太平洋地区传播开来，于2015年侵入巴西，并引发了另一种严重的神经系统并发症——胎儿小头畸形。与其他黄病毒一样，寨卡病毒通过蚊子传播，也可通过性传播，可能还会通过输血、密切的个人接触和器官移植传播。由于这些传染病传播的综合机制可能导致成人和儿童严重神经系统疾病的灾难性发病，公众应该了解寨卡病毒会带来什么影响、如何预防感染以及预防措施最可能存在哪些不足。由于联邦研究资金停滞不前，寨卡疫苗的问世还遥遥无期。目前，美国为应对寨卡病毒入侵而制定的唯一国家战略是有效的病媒控制措施以及个人防蚊叮咬保护措施。除了要对伊蚊病媒及其叮咬行为有基本了解外，还需要了解简单的家庭病媒控制措施，并选择最佳的化学和物理驱蚊剂，以抵御寨卡病毒的威胁。
