Jan. 28- The World Health Organization, (WHO), on 28th January has warned that Zika, a mosquito borne virus is “spreading explosively” in South American countries. Aedes mosquito species, the carrier of Chikungunya and Dengue viruses is also responsible for Zika virus transmission.

It is found that some pregnant women in Brazil infected with Zika virus, have given birth to babies with abnormally small heads. The suspected relationship between Zika virus infection and birth malformations poses a serious threat.

WHO has alerted that countries where Aedes mosquito species is present has a potential risk of zika virus transmission. By this year end, as many as forty lakh people are likely to be affected by the virus.

The most common symptoms of Zika viral disease are fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis (red eyes). Symptoms of the disease begin 2 to 7 days after being bitten by an infected Aedes mosquito. The Zika virus was first detected in 1947 from Rhesus monkeys in the Zika forests of Uganda and hence the name.