With the recent findings of a study, Zika virus in Canadian travelers showed that it was usually confirmed to be a case of dengue. However, the symptoms tend to be more severe.
In a recent report in CTV News Toronto, a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal studied and monitored 1,118 travelers. 41 of them were actually diagnosed with the Zika virus and they were reported to show severe symptoms.
Common symptoms among travelers with Zika virus are rashes and fever. Some also experienced having intense muscle pains and headaches. Almost 17 percent of the travelers also had conjunctivitis or the reddening of the eye area.
Apart from the aforementioned symptoms, different severe symptoms also appeared in some travelers. These symptoms included the Guillain-Barre syndrome on two travelers which can actually, later on, develop into temporary paralysis. The study also showed that one of the two travelers also experienced viral meningitis caused by the Zika virus.
In a statement released in Science Daily, Dr. Andrea Boggild, the Clinical Director of the Tropical Disease Unit at the University Health Network, University of Toronto and Public Health Ontario, imparted that there's been a misconception that the Zika virus starts with mild clinical symptoms just like some cases of dengue and chikungunya. In actual fact, the Zika virus came to the world's attention when it caused massive birth defects among Zika-infected mothers in 2015. A related case also happened to the Canadian travelers in the study where congenital transmission of the Zika virus was observed in two of the three pregnant travelers.
Since recent studies like this showed a similar trend among pregnant women, Boggild stresses the importance of precautionary measures among pregnant women. Boggild adds that as much as possible, pregnant women should steer clear of Zika-affected countries and should also abstain from any sexual interactions abroad.
