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Nowadays, many researchers and health care workers identify the Zika virus as a serious global health issue for pregnant women (Tharpe, Farley, & Jordan, 2016). For a long period of time, this mosquito-born flavivirus was limited to the territories of Africa and Asia. In 2015, it emerged in Brazil and spread throughout several American states (Zupanc & Petrovec, 2016). At this moment, many Florida citizens are under a threat of having this virus because there are no appropriate technologies that may control the virus. In fact, the virus continues surprising the representatives of health care due to its unprecedented ability to spread by sexual contact and become an inborn defect in case a mother is infected during her pregnancy in addition to the possibility for people to be infected via mosquito bites (Chang, 2016).
Taking into consideration such facts, it is possible to say that the Zika virus is a serious public health problem of the epidemic level that puts pregnant women in South Florida at risk and make different services and organizations work hard in order to measure risks and prevent the development of the infection.
According to the reports of the CDC, there is no vaccine with the help of which it is possible to prevent or treat Zika. As a rule, this infection is subclinical and may be characterized by mild febrile illness (Zupanc & Petrovec, 2016). However, in some cases, there is a threat of neurological complications (GBS) and such anomalies as microcephaly among newborns. Therefore, pregnant women have to be very careful when they live in Florida or want to visit Miami-Dade.
In 2016, 1064 cases of Zika were reported with 190 of them being a result of mosquito bites only (Chang, 2016). However, these are the official numbers. It is hard to guess how many people actually suffer from the virus. Its symptoms may include ordinary fever, headache, and rash. Besides, red eyes and joint pain may be observed.
Due to the fact that no vaccines are available, people may take their own precautionary measures, including the avoidance of mosquito bites and the evaluation of the information about sexual partners because the virus can be easily passed through sex (in case a partner is infected). The use of condoms may reduce the possibility of getting the infection. However, people should understand that condoms are not always as safe as people think about them.
The prevention of mosquito bites may be in the form of special insect repellents. Pregnant women have to be provided with such and use them each time going outside. Sometimes, it is possible to use special nets while sleeping, wear clothes with long sleeves, and buy anti-mosquito screens on windows and doors. Finally, wet cleaning should be organized once per week.
The prevention of Zika in pregnant women who live in South Florida is a serious theme for discussion because this type of population is also responsible for the well-being of their children. It is so easy to be bitten and survive. However, it is hard to avoid complications among children, who are born from the mothers, who have the Zika virus. It is impossible to treat it. Therefore, people have to live with it and wait till the health conditions may be improved. American scientists, as well as the representatives of other countries, work hard on the creation of a vaccine. Everything ordinary people may do is to wait and take any possible precautions to protect themselves against bites or having sex with an infected person.
References
Chang, D. (2016). Zika virus will become endemic, CDC leader says. Miami Herald. Web.
Tharpe, N.L., Farley, C.L., & Jordan, R.G. (2016). Clinical practice guidelines for midwifery & womens health. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Zupanc, T.A., & Petrovec, M. (2016). Zika: An old virus with a new face. Zdravstveno Varstrvo, 55(4), 228-230.
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