Zika Virus and Turkey


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Kavur H., Artun O., Evyapan G., Alptekin D.

EJONS 13th Internatıonal Congress on Mathematic, Engineering and Natural Sciences, Nevşehir, Türkiye, 26 - 27 Ekim 2021, cilt.13, sa.1, ss.15-16

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
  • Cilt numarası: 13
  • Basıldığı Şehir: Nevşehir
  • Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.15-16
  • Çukurova Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Zika virus is an RNA virus in the Flaviviridae family. It has been detected in body fluids such as semen, vaginal secretions, blood, urine, amniotic fluid, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), breast milk, saliva, brain and spinal cord. The incubation period varies between 3-14 days. In addition, the disease caused by the Zika virus, Aedes (Ae.) albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito) and Ae. aegypti (yellow fever mosquito) species is transmitted to humans through mosquitoes. In general, people who are infected do not have any symptoms. Although rare, its symptoms are characterized by acute onset fever, maculopapular rash, arthralgia, or nonpurulent conjunctivitis. Zika virus passes from the mother to the fetus by the blood-sucking female mosquito and from it to the fetus via the transplacental route, causing fetal anomalies, especially microcephaly, and rare neurological complications. It was first isolated from monkeys in Uganda in 1947. According to the Zika virus epidemiology data of the World Health Organization, as of 2019, approximately 1.62 million people in 84 countries around the world are thought to be affected by Zika virus. It has been reported that the disease is transmitted to humans by infected female mosquitoes sucking the blood of infected people in Asia, Africa, America and Pacific countries. Although there are no cases reported from Turkey, Aedes mosquitoes responsible for the spread of the virus are found in the fauna of Turkey. Especially in our country, they have been detected in the Mediterranean (Ae. aegypti) Marmara and Black Sea (Ae. albopictus) regions close to the coast due to their tolerance to salinity. A total of 64 mosquito species, of which 50 species are considered endemic in our country, are classified under 8 genera (Anopheles, Aedes, Ochlerotatus, Culex, Culiseta, Coquillettidia, Orthopodomyia and Uranotaenia). In this presentation, in which the studies carried out by us and other researchers on the subject are compiled, it is aimed to examine the possibility of the disease in our country. As a result, mosquitoes transmit Zika virus to people in many places in the world, especially in Latin America, despite widespread spraying programs. The most effective public health measures for preventing Zika virus disease include controlling the mosquito populations via insecticides and preventing humans from direct exposure to mosquitoes. The fact that no cases have been reported from Turkey yet, but the presence of vector mosquitoes transmitting the disease in the existing fauna increases the possibility of the virus being seen in the future, especially in the coastal areas of our country.


The authors thank Scientifc Research Projects Coordination Unit of Cukurova University, which supported our study with a project ID of ‘FBA-2020-12496’.