Zika virus, an outbreak of which has been reported from India%u2019s Kerala this week, was first discovered in 1947 by Alexander John Haddow. He was part of a team doing research on yellow fever in Uganda, and he identified a new virus that was making a monkey in his lab sick.
Also Read| All about Zika Virus: Symptoms, prevention, and more
The virus is named after the Zika Forest in Uganda. In 1952, the first human cases of Zika were detected and since then, outbreaks of Zika have been reported in tropical Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands, according to CDC.
Zika outbreaks have since been reported in the Pacific region, South and Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, and parts of south and southeast Asia.
Many countries have standing travel advisories for people travelling to affected areas.
All about the virus
As per World Health Organization, Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus. Zika virus disease is caused by a virus transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes, which bite during the day.
It was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in monkeys and was later identified in humans in 1952 in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. The virus outbreaks have also been reported in Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Pacific.
Prevention
Since Zika is primarily caused through a mosquito bite one of the most important ways of prevention is to use a mosquito repellent. While going outside in an insect-prone area, wear full-sleeved clothes. Since it is also transmitted through sexual intercourse, it is advisable to use condoms while having sex.
