Summary of Article
Nowadays, there are many serious issues that can be dangerous for human health. These issues include diseases and viruses that are constantly transforming and adapting to new conditions and various means of disease control and prevention invented by people. The article by Lupton (2016) is devoted to the Zika virus disease that is spreading in many countries and may also be dangerous for European and American travelers. The article that we were supposed to read can be called a credible and interesting source; it presents a substantial review of the data concerning Zika virus disease; for instance, the author reviews the topic from a historical perspective and tells about the earliest cases when it was discovered in Africa. To continue, there is a lot of important information that can present certain interest for researchers and students.
The author clearly states the problem that bothers all the members of the medical community. In particular, she reviews plenty of topics connected to Zika virus diseases such as its primary symptoms, the statistical data on sickness cases in different countries, the ways of how the disease is transmitted, and possible prevention measures. The strategies that would help to ameliorate the present situation and influence healthcare are bite prevention and increasing the awareness of travelers and local citizens. The thing that is also important is that the author is concerned about the possible transmission of this virus in more developed countries such as the UK. Among other things, the author raises her concerns about tourists (especially pregnant women) traveling to different countries. As the author claims, it is very important to avoid becoming pregnant during or just after the trip. In the end, the discussed article touches upon a very important topic, and all the facts mentioned by the author seem to be credible. What is more, the article is extremely significant for global health due to its topic.
Significance to Course Content and Global Health
The article that has been discussed earlier can be called a work that is significant for the field of universal healthcare and students’ education. There is no doubt that there are a lot of factors influencing healthcare all over the world. It is necessary to say that many of them are strongly connected to people’s behavior. The author of the article puts an increased focus on explaining the measures that foreign tourists should take in order to avoid the infection. Preventive measures are extremely important in any case of virus disease. The thing that also contributes to the significance of this article is that the author recommends other specialists to be especially careful when it comes to working with pregnant women who would like to travel to these countries.
There is no doubt that the author has conducted important research; in her work, she also gives priority to the ways to prevent Zika virus disease transmission on a global scale and help those people who are already ill. As for the latter, there is a lack of special vaccines, and this is why the only measures that can be taken to help ill people are to supply them with water and make them follow a bed regime. Unfortunately, there are more factors that may influence global healthcare in connection to the situation with viruses. For example, it often happens that two different diseases occur simultaneously and reinforce each other (Oehler, Watrin, Larre, Leparc-Goffart, & Ghawche, 2014). According to the ecological model of health promotion, it is important to draw a link between the health of an individual and that of the society, and this approach may have a positive influence on the present situation. For example, it is necessary to increase people’s awareness and make them more responsible (Oster, 2016).
References
Lupton, K. (2016). Zika virus disease: A public health emergency of international concern. British Journal of Nursing, 25(4), 198-202.
Oehler, E., Watrin, L., Larre, P., Leparc-Goffart, I., & Ghawche, F. (2014). Zika virus infection complicated by Guillain-Barre syndrome – Case report, French Polynesia. Euro Surveill, 19(9), 1-3.
Oster, A. M. (2016). Interim guidelines for the prevention of sexual transmission of Zika virus—the United States, 2016. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 65(5), 120-121.