What you should know about pregnant women and virus Zika

Today, Colombia is a source of contagion 'cocktail' complex viral disease, which has a population groups potentially at risk, particularly to pregnant women and children; this is dengue viruses, chikungunya and zika. (Read: Why do you recommend to couples not pregnant by now?)

Indeed, on the Zika virus, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, headed by Minister Alejandro Gaviria Uribe announced in official circular, guidelines on contingency and action plan, aimed at different governmental actors, estates health and population, telling you how to care for patients with suspected or confirmed infection zika.

At the same time, the Ministry, in the same document, made a 'special recommendation "in which couples living in Colombia are asked not pregnant before July 2016 because of the high risk that children born to infected women virus born with birth defects and neurological disorders.

In addition, the call is that pregnant women who do not live in the catchment areas, ie, where the virus and not traveling on the same period these departments and municipalities. (See: Editorial: Zika and pregnancy)

So far, the disease has been present in the departments of Norte de Santander, Antioquia, Tolima, Caldas, Putumayo, Huila, Atlantico, Magdalena, Bolívar, Arauca, Santander, Risaralda and Cundinamarca.

How is it spread?

It is important that the chikungunya, dengue and zika, the latter in the highest transmission and incidence in the country peak, shares its origin, they are virus transmitted by the same mosquito: the 'Aedes aegypti' and also ' are concentrated in areas that are below 2,200 meters above sea level, "the infectious Carlos Arturo Alvarez, president of the Colombian Association of Infectious Diseases.

Meanwhile, Jasmine Finch Suarez, an epidemiologist and head of Epidemiology Research Unit of the University Hospital of Savannah, indicates that "infection is acquired by direct bite of the mosquito (vector) infected, although cases have been found vertical transmission (mother and son), to a lesser impact on the world. " (Also: more than 11,000 confirmed cases of Zika in Colombia)

It is therefore important that current and future mothers are aware of these diseases to take precautions if they live in the catchment areas and prevent any contact of the mosquito with their children, family and themselves, especially if they are in the first three month pregnancy stage where the fetus is in full training and the spread of vector transmitter can have serious consequences for both mother and child.

High-risk pregnancies

In the particular case of zika, the National Institute of Health (NIH) reported that more than 11,000 cases of the disease, and that figure the number of pregnant women infected with the virus stands whose confirmed cases amounted to 459 and others are on track.

If the disease is confirmed in a pregnant there is a risk that your child suffers from microcephaly, which prevents the brain to develop normally, also can have severe mental retardation and, in the worst cases, death. (Also: With emergency plan seeks to curb mosquito zika Atlantic)

In this regard, in recent days, the deputy health minister, Fernando Ruiz Gómez, declared those high-risk pregnant women who contract the virus Zika. This guideline was given the MOH following the increase during the last month, cases of microcephaly and other neurological disorders in newborns of pregnant women with zika in Brazil.

The official also explained that in the ED, these cases must be addressed immediately, taking blood tests and ultrasound monitoring continued throughout pregnancy, with the full support of its EPS. In addition, patients should be reported to the SIVIGILA, National System for Public Health Surveillance, the INS.

Despite the existing alert, the deputy minister has emphasized that it is not confirmed that whenever a pregnant woman acquires the virus, the fetus suffers neurological disorders, but insisted that the call is prevention.

Climate moment that happens the country has been, to some extent, breeding ground for the multiplication and spread of viruses. Colombia lives, currently, droughts and rain, characteristic of El Niño. (Read: Warn of affectations of the Zika virus in pregnant women)

Therefore it is essential to address the recommendations of the national health authorities, asking, among others, extreme measures and maintain clean water spills, potential breeding mosquito transmitter.

Protect your children well

1. Drink plenty of water, especially children, to avoid dehydration.

2. Use mosquito nets or mosquito nets to protect against mosquito bites to rest and cover doors and windows in areas where the possibility of infection with dengue, and chikungunya zika there.

3. Keep covered tanks, laundries, sinks and water troughs for animals, among others. Close garbage bags well.

4. Verify that in areas such as patios there are no elements to store water during periods of rainfall, such as bottles, tires, buckets or tanks that are not in use.

5. Use sunscreen first and then repellent protection. Consider the age of your child and read well the product components. Remember repellent sticks provide only one hour of protection against insects.

6. Dress your child in clothes long, fresh and light-colored sleeve.

Be alert for symptoms

Zika: appearance of rash (itchy and bud) associated with high fever, non-purulent conjunctivitis, joint pain in lower limbs and severe headaches.

Chikungunya fever of more than 5 days associated with strong joint pain, abdominal pain, altered consciousness (irritability, dizziness) and vomiting.

Dengue: high fever, headache and persistent abdominal pain, vomiting, bleeding gums or presentation of 'purple or black' feet (not associated with strokes)

The infection can affect the fetus with serious consequences

The three virus transmitted by the tiny mosquito 'Aedes' family have different consequences, some already confirmed and others that require more specialized and profound studies to determine their real impact, both pregnant and in fetuses and newborns.

Speaking of dengue, for example, Elkin Osorio Saldarriaga, director of promotion and prevention of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, indicates that when a woman is pregnant and suffering from chikungunya can present "a condition shared risk between the newborn and mom. You may antepartum some complications arise, due to the symptoms and conditions of the woman, and maternal generally have special immunological and vulnerability, different and particular, to those of the general population circumstances. And so it is better to have them in direct observation. "


Newborns whose mothers suffered spread of these viruses in their pregnancy are certain health risks.
Dr. Osorio also notes that vertical transmission of the virus, ie from mother to child, it is something that is still under discussion. However, what is certain is the possibility of a joint venture in contact with the infected vector, especially if it is confirmed the spread of the mother.

Meanwhile, epidemiologist Marcela Gomez Suarez says "has not been shown that the chikungunya virus is transmitted during pregnancy." What is known is that if a mother is infected at birth, itself the greater the risk, for both mother and child.

Also, there have been reports in Colombia of infected children who presented sepsis chikungunya, I meningoencephalitis, myocarditis, pericarditis, and perinatal death of these infants whose mothers have been infected.

Risk of preterm birth

In the case of dengue infections in pregnant women, it has shown that there is a serious risk of preterm birth and stillbirth, if specifically about spreading the virus of hemorrhagic dengue, which can trigger severe hemorrhagic cases in mothers and children.

Regarding the zika explains Ivan Dario Vélez, director of the Program of Study and Control of Tropical Diseases, PECET, University of Antioquia, "as the virus is so small, crosses the placenta, reach the embryo and is located at the level central nervous system ", which can cause, in certain cases, microcephaly.

The expert adds that the virus is also associated with Guillain-Barré-Landry, a neurological disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system, myelin, the insulating layer covering the nerves. Consequently, there is inability to feel heat, pain and other sensations.