Beware! There is a new virus in town, and it’s spread by mosquitoes

Luiza was born in October with a rare condition, known as microcephaly. Luiza's mother Angelica Pereira was infected with the Zika virus after a mosquito bite. Brazilian health authorities are convinced that Luiza's condition is related to the Zika virus that infected her mother during pregnancy. AP Photo/Felipe Dana — Luiza was born in October with a rare condition, known as microcephaly. Luiza’s mother Angelica Pereira was infected with the Zika virus after a mosquito bite. Brazilian health authorities are convinced that Luiza’s condition is related to the Zika virus that infected her mother during pregnancy. AP Photo/Felipe Dana

Researchers around the world have been called to task following the recent resurfacing of the Zika virus in South America.

In 2015, about 3000 babies were born with cases of Microcephaly, a form of brain disease which is now being connected to the Zika virus.

The Zika virus, mosquito-borne, causes Zika fever which consists of mild fever, rash, headaches, arthralgia, myalgia, asthenia, and non-purulent conjunctivitis.

However, only one out of four people may develop symptoms which can last between two and seven days.

Although the virus was first detected, 1947, in Africa, researchers only started to pay attention to Zika in 2007 following an outbreak on the island of Yap, Micronesia where over 73 percent of the population was infected.

Brazil reported her first case of Zika in May 2015 and by December 2015, it had surfaced in Colombia, Mexico and even the island of Puerto Rico.

At the moment, there is no cure for the disease. Photo: Getty Images

Preliminary studies show that the virus may be responsible for the surge in cases of microcephaly in Brazil as “the virus can cross the placental barrier”.

Brazilian authorities have already declared a state of emergency in the nation’s northeast where most of the cases occurred. In addition, they’ve asked that women not get pregnant for a while.

There are fears that the Zika virus will continue to spread, and might even get to the United States. And who knows? It might be here already.

There you go. One more reason to kill mosquitoes..