I-Zika virus igciwane lohlobo lwe-flavivirus, umndeni wamagciwane ahlanganisa udenga, i-yellow fever, amagciwane aseWest Nile, njll. Lawa magciwane kuthiwa nawo angama-arboviruses (isifinyezo se ari-thropod -borne igciwanees), ngenxa yokuthi anezinto ezithile zokudluliselwa ngama-arthropods, izinambuzane ezimunca igazi njengomiyane.

            Igciwane leZika lahlonzwa kusukela ngo-1947 e-Uganda ezinkawini zeRhesus, kwase kuba kubantu ngo-1952 e-Uganda naseTanzania. Kuze kube manje, izehlakalo ze-Zika virus disease ziye zabonwa kakhulu eNingizimu Melika, kodwa ukuqubuka kwemiqedazwe sekubonile kakade e-Afrika, eMelika, e-Asia nasePacific.

            Ubhadane lwamanje lwaqala eBrazil, izwe elithinteke kakhulu njengamanje, futhi selusabalele ezindaweni eziningi zaseNingizimu Melika naseCaribbean, okuhlanganisa neFrench Antilles neGuyana. Idatha ye-Epidemiological ngezinga lobhubhane ishintsha ngokushesha, futhi ibuyekezwa njalo kumasayithi e-WHO noma i-INVS. Ezwekazini laseFrance, cishe abantu abangamashumi amabili abahlaselwe yigciwane leZika sekuqinisekisiwe kubahambi ababuya ezindaweni ezinegciwane.

Yiziphi izimbangela zesifo, indlela yokudluliselwa kwegciwane leZika?

            Igciwane leZika lisakazwa kubantu ngokulunywa umiyane osulelekile wohlobo Aedes futhi engadlulisela udenga, i-chikungunya kanye ne-yellow fever. Omiyane ababili bomndeni Aedes bayakwazi ukudlulisa igciwane leZika, Aedes aegypti ezindaweni ezishisayo noma ezishisayo, kanye Aedes albopictus (umiyane we-tiger) ezindaweni ezipholile kakhulu.

            Umiyane (owesifazane kuphela olumayo) uzingcolisa ngokuluma umuntu osenegciwane futhi ngaleyo ndlela ungadlulisela igciwane ngokuluma omunye umuntu. Uma selisemzimbeni, igciwane liyaphindaphindeka futhi liqhubeke izinsuku ezi-3 kuya kweziyi-10. Umuntu otheleleke nge-Zika akatheleleki komunye umuntu (ngaphandle mhlawumbe ngokuya ocansini), ngakolunye uhlangothi angathelela omunye umiyane onjalo. Aedes uma ihlatshwa futhi.

            Ngenxa yezokuthutha zamazwe ngamazwe, umiyane wohlobo lwe-Aedes ungathuthwa ngokungenhloso usuka kwenye indawo uye kwenye. Lolu bhubhane lubhebhetheka ngokushesha ezindaweni zasemadolobheni, yingakho kunengozi yobhubhane olukhulu ezindaweni zasemadolobheni lapho izimo zivumela omiyane ukuba baphile. Edolobheni elikhulu laseFrance, amacala akhombe abantu abathintekayo ababuya ezindaweni eziwubhubhane, kepha ingozi yokuthi omiyane batheleleke ngokuluma abantu abanaleli gciwane ayinakunqunywa.

            Ikakhulukazi, ukusulelana kungenzeka ngocansi, icala lakamuva e-USA eliqinisekise izinsolo eziphakanyiswe ukubonwa okubili kwangaphambilini. Akukaziwa ukuthi kungenzeka yini ukuthi leli gciwane liqhubeke esidodeni sabesilisa abanaleli gciwane uma sebeluleme, futhi isikhathi esingakanani.