25 percent of Nigeria's population has Zika Virus- Health Minister

                      

The Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole said that, Twenty Five percent of Nigeria’s population have tested positive to the dreaded Zika virus.
The Minister who made the revelation while defending the 2016 budget of the Ministry of Health said the virus is not taken serious because Nigeria is not interested in it.

He said: “I want to say that Zika has been with us since 1954. About 25% of Nigerians are positive to Zika virus but what has happened is that it has done nothing to us.” ;

Zika virus spread to people through mosquito bites. The most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week. Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon.
 

The CDC has issued travel notices for people traveling to regions and certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing.
 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the incubation period (the time from exposure to symptoms) of Zika virus disease is not clear, but is likely to be a few days. The symptoms are similar to other arbovirus infections such as dengue, and include fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise, and headache. These symptoms are usually mild and last for 2-7 days.
During large outbreaks in French Polynesia and Brazil in 2013 and 2015 respectively, national health authorities reported potential neurological and auto-immune complications of Zika virus disease.

More investigation is definitely needed before we understand the relationship between microcephaly in babies and the Zika virus. Other potential causes are also being investigated