Abstract

RINCON SILVA, Nelson Giovanny  and  ACEVEDO CASTRO, Dorian Armando. General Analysis of the Epidemiological Outbreak Caused by the Zika and Chikungunya Viruses in Colombia. Rev. Med [online]. 2019, vol.27, n.2, pp.47-62.  Epub Nov 26, 2022. ISSN 0121-5256.  https://doi.org/10.18359/rmed.3606.

Viruses are infectious agents causing various diseases in humans; this behavior is demonstrated by, for example, the outbreak of smallpox in Native Americans that resulted in the death of thousands at the time of the Conquest. In recent years, the reappearance of some diseases caused by viruses has been reported in tropical countries, which threaten to become pandemics. Conditions such as Zika and chikungunya fevers have affected several countries in South America, mainly Brazil, Peru, and Colombia, where thousands of infections and some fatal outcomes were reported. Due to the importance of the matter, the characteristics of the viruses, clinical manifestations of the infection, statistics on those affected, and treatments available are critically reviewed. Likewise, the preventive actions proposed by the WHO and the National Institute of Health (NIH) are discussed. Finally, some proposals in the development of vaccines are checked to conclude that, despite the significant advances and considerable possibilities in clinical phases, there is still no commercial products for either of the two viruses analyzed, but they are planned for after 2020.

Keywords : Virus; Zika virus; chikungunya virus; bleeding disorder; fever; epidemic; infection; vaccine.

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