Are the elderly at risk from the Zika virus?
Confirmed cases of the Zika virus have made across several U.S. states at the start of 2016, including in Texas and Massachusetts. Until recently, the virus was considered a relatively obscure disease that only affected the eastern hemisphere. In 2015, however, patients affected with the disease began to rapidly expand across Brazil.
Now doctors and scientists are warning Americans that there is the potential for a major outbreak in the United States in the coming years. As is true with most diseases, those most at risk are people with compromised or weakened immune systems, like those who are already ill, pregnant women, infants, small children and the elderly.
How the Zika virus could affect seniors
According to the World Health Organization, the firstoutbreak of Zika virusoccurred in 2007. Transmitted by infected mosquito bites, it has been quickly traveling from continent to continent in alarming numbers. WHO predicts that as many as 400 million people in the Americas in the next few years.
For most people, Zika virus is an uncomfortable, but relatively safe illness. Symptoms include fever, skin rashes and conjunctivitis. Since there is no cure or vaccine for the disease, the most typical treatment is for the symptoms themselves, such as taking over-the-counter pain medications and fever reducers, paired with high fluid intake and plenty of rest.
Seniors, however, are at a disadvantage when it comes to the Zika virus or any other illness. The elderly have weaker immune systems than they did when they were younger, and that makes it more difficult for their bodies to fight off infections. If an older loved one begins showing signs of the Zika virus, it is important to help them seek medical attention immediately.
Preventing Zika virus
Since there is no way to protect against the disease itself, the best method to reduce a senior’s risk of contracting the virus is to limit their exposure to mosquitos. Those who live in the Southeastern United States need to be especially cautious, as their environment is more conducive to mosquito breeding year round than those in other parts of the country.
To limit mosquito exposure, seniors should:
Dress in long clothes.Limiting skin’s exposure is an easy and relatively affective way to prevent mosquito bites and mosquito-born diseases. Wearing light-colored long sleeve shirts and pants will help minimize exposure. Use insect repellant. Covering at-risk people with bug spray will help keep mosquitoes away. Hang netting and screens. Porches with intact screens or mosquito nets will allow seniors to spend time outdoors while significantly limiting the risk of infection. If someone wants to work in a garden or do other backyard activities, he should wear a mosquito net while he’s outside. Destroy breeding grounds.Female mosquitoes are the ones that bite people, so limiting the areas where they will reproduce will help keep them away. Mosquitoes lay eggs in stagnant water, so empty bird baths and other pools of water from around the house. After a rainstorm, check the property for water that has built up on lawn ornaments or tools and dump the water out.
Keeping seniors healthy
Many diseases can be spread by mosquitoes, so checking for signs and symptoms of illness are an important part ofsenior care. Elderly people who already have a chronic disease or illness are at an especially high risk for experiencing complications from a virus like Zika or influenza.
To help keep seniors safe, make sure they are receiving their vaccines each year. They can also strengthen their immune systems with a healthy diet and exercise. Balanced meals should include plenty of vegetables, especially leafy green ones like spinach or kale, lean proteins and heart-healthy whole grains.
