In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a mosquito-transmitted disease as a global public health emergency.

No, it’s not dengue.

While that may have been the more obvious answer, there is another disease that can be transmitted through mosquito bites.

It’s called Zika Virus.

According to the Department of Health Philippines, the Zika virus is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a flavivirus. It was first identified in 1947 in monkeys and was seen in humans around 1952 in Uganda and United Republic of Tanzania.

The Philippines recorded its first Zika case back in 2012 from a teenage boy in Cebu. Amid the Zika breakout in 2016, the Philippines recorded about 57 Zika cases as of February in 2017, the first one is a 45-year old woman in Iloilo City, Central Philippines.

With an alarming rate of Zika virus cases around the world and in the Philippines, how does one detect it?

Zika virus’ symptoms are similar to the symptoms of dengue fever. These include:

● Fever
● Skin rashes
● Conjunctivitis – Conjunctivitis is the inflammation or swelling of the thin transparent layer that covers the
white part of the eye.
● Muscle and joint pain
● Malaise – Malaise is a general feeling of discomfort, illness, or lack of well-being.
● Headache

These symptoms can last for around two to seven days, and are usually mild. But only one in four people develop symptoms of the Zika infection, so we must all be extra careful.

However, unlike dengue that can only be transmitted from mosquito to human to another mosquito, the Zika Virus can be transmitted in three ways: through mosquito bites, sexual contact, and through pregnancy.

Zika can develop complications such as the Guillain-Barre syndrome which is the sudden weakening of muscles, or the Microcephaly where a baby’s head is much smaller than normal.

The DOH has advised to seek the nearest health center if a person has already gone through two days with fever to check if he or she is infected with Zika. Hospitals like ManilaMed can help you get checked of any mosquito-transmitted disease. Visit their website at www.manilamed.com.ph to book an appointment.