TRENDING IN THE HEALTH WORLD: LASSA VIRUSE-NIGERIA, ZIKA VIRUS-MEXICO AND MORE

The out break of lassa fever since late last year till date have seen nothing less than 63 deaths; Patients,  doctors and other health workers inclusive. As a matter of fact, the fear of lassa virus infection has boomed the sales of rat poison. Good business huh?
According to WHO fact sheet, important points worthy of note include

>you can be infected by coming in contact with the remains of an infected rat

>it can also be gotten from person to person when you come in contact with an infected person

>Nosocomial infection can also occur in the hospitals/health care facilities especially when adequate preventive measures are not taken

>About 80% of people infected by the virus are asymptomatic

>lassa fever can be cured especially with early presentation

> There is no vaccine

SYMPTOMS
 include fever, headache,  chills, diarrhea, weakness,  joint pain, backache, sore throat,  nausea,  vomiting, facial swelling,  rashes bleeding from the eye, nose, ear, etc.  Later stage consist of seizures, shock, coma and death.

A common complication is deafness of which hearing may or may not return.

Well, while the lassa virus keeps us on our feet here, the zika virus is doing same on the other part of the world,  especially Mexico. The zika virus is a virus most commonly spread by the aedes mosquito though there are evidence of mother to child transmission and the virus have also been isolated from semen.
The major scare of the virus is the birth defects it causes( microcephaly; small brain/head among others). Usually the zika viral infection rarely kills. As a matter of fact, most infected persons do not even know they are infected except a few who may become symptomatic and may need hospitalization.
Symptoms include fever,  headache, chills,  pains and weakness of which most patients do well with paracetamol. But the birth defects? ...