Zika virus ndi mtundu wa flavivirus virus, banja la ma virus kuphatikiza dengue, yellow fever, West Nile virus, etc. Ma virus awa amatchedwanso arboviruses (chidule cha arthropod -borne viruses), chifukwa ali ndi zomwe zimafalitsidwa ndi tizilombo toyamwa magazi monga udzudzu.

            Kachilombo ka Zika kanadziwika kale mu 1947 ku Uganda ku Rhesus nyani, kenako mwa anthu mu 1952 ku Uganda ndi Tanzania. Mpaka pano, matenda a Zika virus akhala akuwonedwa makamaka ku South America, koma kufalikira kwa miliri kwawonedwa kale ku Africa, America, Asia ndi Pacific.

            Mliri wapanowu unayambira ku Brazil, dziko lomwe lakhudzidwa kwambiri ndi vutoli, ndipo wafalikira kumadera ambiri a ku South America ndi ku Caribbean, kuphatikiza ku French Antilles ndi Guyana. Zambiri za Epidemiological pakukula kwa mliriwu zikusintha mwachangu, ndipo zimasinthidwa pafupipafupi patsamba la WHO kapena INVS. Ku France, pafupifupi anthu makumi awiri omwe akhudzidwa ndi kachilombo ka Zika atsimikiziridwa mwa apaulendo obwera kuchokera kumadera omwe ali ndi kachilomboka.

Zomwe zimayambitsa matendawa, njira yopatsira kachilombo ka Zika?

            Kachilombo ka Zika kamafalikira kwa anthu mwa kulumidwa ndi udzudzu wamtundu wamtunduwu Aedes zomwe zimatha kufalitsa dengue, chikungunya ndi yellow fever. Udzudzu wabanja awiri Aedes amatha kufalitsa kachilombo ka Zika, Aedes aegypti m'madera otentha kapena otentha, ndi Aedes albopictus (udzudzu wa tiger) m'malo ofunda kwambiri.

            Udzudzu (wokha waukazi woluma) umadziipitsa mwa kuluma munthu amene ali ndi kachilombo kale ndipo motero ungapatsire kachilomboko mwa kuluma munthu wina. Kamodzi m'thupi, kachilomboka kamachulukana ndikupitilira kwa masiku atatu mpaka 3. Munthu yemwe ali ndi kachilombo ka Zika samapatsirana ndi munthu wina (kupatula mwina mwa kugonana), kumbali ina akhoza kupatsira udzudzu wina wotere. Aedes ngati yalumidwanso.

            Chifukwa cha mayendedwe apadziko lonse lapansi, udzudzu wamtundu wa Aedes ukhoza kusamutsidwa mosadziwa kuchokera kumalo ena kupita kwina. Mliriwu ukufalikira mwachangu kwambiri m'matauni, chifukwa chake kuwopsa kwa miliri yayikulu m'matawuni komwe mikhalidwe imalola udzudzu kukhala ndi moyo. Ku mainland France, milanduyi idadziwika kuti ndi anthu omwe akuchokera kumadera omwe mliriwu, koma chiopsezo chotenga udzudzu chifukwa choluma anthu omwe ali ndi kachilomboka sichingalephereke.

            Mwapadera, kupatsirana kumatha kuchitika kudzera mukugonana, nkhani yaposachedwa ku USA yomwe idatsimikizira kukayikira komwe kunayambika ndi zomwe adaziwona kale. Sizikudziwikabe ngati kachilomboka kangathe kupitilira mu umuna wa amuna omwe ali ndi kachilombo akachira, komanso kwa nthawi yayitali bwanji.