{"id":4692,"date":"2016-06-21T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-06-21T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/2016\/06\/21\/a-virus-host-has-the-medical-community-buzzing\/"},"modified":"2024-07-18T15:11:21","modified_gmt":"2024-07-18T21:11:21","slug":"a-virus-host-has-the-medical-community-buzzing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/a-virus-host-has-the-medical-community-buzzing\/","title":{"rendered":"A virus\u2019 host has the medical community buzzing"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

It weighs just 2.5 milligrams and travels about one mile per hour, but this little critter continues to cause mayhem \u2014 most recently with its impact on unborn children.<\/p>\n

\u201cA mosquito is an ideal environment for viruses,\u201d said UCHealth\u2019s Dr. David Beckham<\/a>, an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.<\/p>\n

There are about 2,700 species of mosquitoes \u2014 176 in the United States \u2014 each having a unique biology that affects their potential for catching, carrying and transmitting<\/a> infections.<\/p>\n

\u201cMosquitoes develop the infection in their gut, and it gets into their salivary glands, where they can carry it for a good period of time,\u201d Beckham said.<\/p>\n

Two types of mosquitoes, A. aegypti and A. albopictus<\/a>, have recently been responsible for infecting thousands of people in South and Central America, Mexico, Puerto Rico and parts of the Caribbean with the Zika virus. This virus has resulted in an alarming number of children in those regions being born with the serious neurological condition called microcephaly<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"pika\"<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy just those two types of mosquitoes? We don\u2019t really know, but we think that the virus has evolved to survive in those mosquitoes because of their complex biology that affects their reaction to the virus,\u201d said Dr. Daniel Pastula<\/a>, neurologist, medical epidemiologist and arboviral disease expert with UCHealth.<\/p>\n

A virus\u2019s host is an important component in the spread of the disease<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Zika falls in the same virus family as West Nile and dengue viruses, but unlike its other mosquito-born flaviviruses family members it can be transferred from human to human by vertical transmission to a fetus<\/a> and sexually<\/a> from an infected human male through his semen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we have found is that men can have prolonged secretion of active virus in the semen longer than just when they are sick,\u201d Beckham said.<\/p>\n

Like dengue<\/a> and Zika virus, chikungunya<\/a> virus, though not in the same family, can spread human to mosquito to human. However, humans are a dead-end host for West Nile virus, meaning they can\u2019t spread the virus except through blood transfusion or organ transplant. Currently, it\u2019s unknown whether Zika can be transferred through transfusion or organ transplants but researchers suspect it\u2019s possible.<\/p>\n

Different mosquitoes carry the different viruses. While Zika, dengue and chikungunya are carried by A. aegypti and A. albopictus, which are found in more tropical climates and can\u2019t overwinter in colder climates, West Nile<\/a> is carried by the Culex mosquito, which does winter and is found in Colorado<\/a>. These mosquitoes are most prevalent from July through September, and people should take similar actions to avoid mosquito bites<\/a> as they would in Zika prevention.<\/p>\n

A virus takes advantage of his host, Beckham explained. For example, the A. aegypti mosquito is a \u201chyper spreader\u201d of Zika virus. Dubbed the \u201csipper,\u201d the mosquito doesn\u2019t take full meals from its host, but rather takes a sip and moves on to the next person. It thrives in urban crowded environments and adapts very well indoors. \u201cYou combine those features, it makes this particular mosquito a robust host for these viruses,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Since early July, there have been six reported cases of locally acquired Zika infections in Wynwood, a neighborhood in Miami, Fla., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It\u2019s the first reported transmissions of the virus in the U.S. as of Aug. 3, 2016.<\/p>\n

Prevention is key:<\/strong> Until more is known about the Zika virus and its effect, people need to follow CDC guidelines and do their best to prevent getting and\/or spreading Zika virus, Dr. David Beckham said. Because of the active travel of our society, people may spread the virus more easily into areas of the U.S. and other non-Zika infected regions.<\/p>\n

Florida health officials are working to contain the infection through mosquito control programs that includes aerial insecticide treatments.<\/p>\n

The A. albopictus mosquito that also carries Zika virus likes to live in forested and heavy brush areas, such as parks, and it enjoys a full meal from its host.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, though it can support the virus, it\u2019s not as good at spreading it,\u201d Beckham said. \u201cIt does have a wider range in the U.S. and moves farther up the coast, so if that mosquito population became infected to a large degree, then we could see a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

How the mosquito behaves is not the only quality that\u2019s important in the spread of disease. The behavior of the virus also plays a part.<\/p>\n

In some cases, viruses have been known to change a mosquito\u2019s behavior, such as turning it into a \u201csipper\u201d when that wasn\u2019t its eating habit before.<\/p>\n

The CDC has set specific travel alerts and recommendations based on the behavior of the virus and its hosts. Visit cdc.gov\/zika for updated information.<\/p>\n

Zika virus was first discovered in 1947 and named after the Zika Forest in Uganda. But it wasn\u2019t until 1953 that the first human infection was identified. Since, small outbreaks have occurred in tropical Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, according to the CDC. Its symptoms had always been mild and not associated with any long-term effects \u2014 until recently.<\/p>\n

In 2015, the first confirmed Zika virus infection was announced in Brazil, after which Brazil announced an alarming increase in the number of babies born with birth defects from mothers who had been infected with Zika virus during pregnancy.<\/p>\n

Brazil also reported an increased number of people with Guillain-Barre syndrome, an uncommon sickness of the nervous system in which a person\u2019s own immune system damages the nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and possible paralysis, according to the CDC. As of June 1, those reporting to have contracted Guillain-Barre syndrome have not suffered any serious consequences, Beckham added.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething happened to Zika \u2014 a change in its genetics at some time,\u201d Beckham said. \u201cWe knew about Zika (virus) before (the Brazil outbreak), but it wasn\u2019t causing these concerns. Something changed in the early part of this century that made it more capable of spreading, and we are still trying to understand what happened to the virus for it to start producing these bad outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first step in studying such a complex issue is replicating it in the lab, Beckham said. Currently, he is working to get the virus into a pregnant host \u2014 a mouse \u2014 and study how the virus spreads to the fetus and other organs.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to start with a good model,\u201d he said. \u201cCurrently, we are developing a model of Zika virus infection in pregnant mice so that we can then study and hopefully understand how the immune system recognizes the virus and responds. If we can understand that, we can start developing vaccines.\u201d<\/p>\n

These studies could then further explain how the Zika virus affects pregnant women, specifically the fetus, at different stages of pregnancy; how it affects reproduction; the long-term infection risks; and the effect a second infection of Zika virus may have.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo prevent mosquito bites, people should wear long-sleeved shirts and pants while outside when feasible, apply insect repellent when going outdoors, and use window screens or air-condition while indoors,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It weighs just 2.5 milligrams and travels about one mile per hour, but this little critter continues to cause mayhem \u2014 most recently with its impact on unborn children. \u201cA mosquito is an ideal environment for viruses,\u201d said UCHealth\u2019s Dr. David Beckham, an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2164,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[9187,257],"class_list":["post-4692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-readysetco","tag-virus-prevention"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA virus\u2019 host has the medical community buzzing - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It weighs just 2.5 milligrams and travels about one mile per hour, but this little critter continues to cause mayhem \u2014 most recently with its impact on unborn children. \u201cA mosquito is an ideal environment for viruses,\u201d said UCHealth\u2019s Dr. David Beckham, an associate profe...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A virus\u2019 host has the medical community buzzing\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It weighs just 2.5 milligrams and travels about one mile per hour, but this little critter continues to cause mayhem \u2014 most recently with its impact on unborn children. \u201cA mosquito is an ideal environment for viruses,\u201d said UCHealth\u2019s Dr. David Beckham, an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/a-virus-host-has-the-medical-community-buzzing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UCHealth Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-06-21T06:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-07-18T21:11:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/1970\/01\/EXT_zika20virus_graphic.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/a-virus-host-has-the-medical-community-buzzing\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/a-virus-host-has-the-medical-community-buzzing\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2974962d9c19ae1bbcec3250ab830fbc\"},\"headline\":\"A virus\u2019 host has the medical community buzzing\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-06-21T06:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-07-18T21:11:21+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/a-virus-host-has-the-medical-community-buzzing\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1197,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/a-virus-host-has-the-medical-community-buzzing\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/1970\\\/01\\\/EXT_zika20virus_graphic.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Ready. 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