Mystery virus: One case in Thailand

The rare Zika virus from Africa was identified in a Canadian tourist who visited Bangkok & Phuket after returning from her trip.

Aedes aegypti, a mosquito that transmits Zika virus, dengue fever and yellow fever (a vector of disease) (Source: Wikipedia)

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HEALTH

Rare virus found in Thailand

1/06/2013
Online news

TORONTO - A Canadian woman has been diagnosed with a rare virus after she returned from a trip to Thailand, according to public health authorities.

The woman from the western province of Alberta tested positive for Zika virus, the first confirmed infection with the virus in Canada, Global News reported.

The 45-year-old woman reported having sustained numerous bug bites during a trip to Bangkok and Phuket in January. The Zika virus is usually spread by mosquitoes.

She became ill after returning to Canada but recovered after about two and a half weeks.

However, it took considerably longer to figure out that she had been infected with the Zika virus, so named after it was first isolated from an infected monkey in the Zika Forest of Uganda in 1947.

The virus did not make its first appearance outside Africa until 2007 when a case was reported in Micronesia.

Health authorities said the case serves as a reminder to doctors and laboratories that travellers may bring home some rare pathogens that are not picked up by regular diagnostic tests.

Human infections with the Zika virus have been reported from parts of Africa and Asia. Like the West Nile or dengue fever viruses, it is transmitted to people by a number of mosquito species. Also like those viruses, Zika is a member of the flavivirus family.

Three days after the traveller returned to Alberta, she became feverish, nauseous with vomiting and extremely fatigued. She also reported having blisters in her mouth.

Later she developed a severe backache and a rash on her extremities, including her palms. At that point, she visited a hospital emergency department, where she was tested for a number of illnesses, including dengue fever, malaria and measles. The tests came back negative.

The woman was finally diagnosed after the US Centers for Disease Control laboratory at Fort Collins, Colorado, found antibodies in her blood to Zika virus.

Though she had been travelling with family and they too reported having been bitten, none of them fell ill.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Mystery virus: Tourist, Rare virus found in Thailand, 1/06/2013, Online news, link) 

 
Virus Vocabulary

virus - a small infectious agent that can make copies of itself inside the cells of living things ไวรัส, เชื้อไวรัส, โรคที่เกิดจากไวรัส (See Wikipedia)
virology - the study of viruses (See Wikipedia)

Zika virus - the virus described in the article (See Wikipedia & CDC report on virus in Cambodia)
Zika fever - the disease that comes with Zika virus infection (See Wikipedia)

flavivirus - (See Wikipedia)
the flavivirus family

US Center for Disease Control - "the national public health institute of the United States government: "Its main goal is to protect public health and safety through the control and prevention of disease, injury, and disability. ... It especially focuses its attention on infectious disease, food borne pathogens, environmental health, occupational safety and health, health promotion, injury prevention and educational activities ..[and]... non-infectious diseases such as obesity and diabetes" (See Wikipedia)
US Center for Disease Control laboratory

pathogen - a virus, bacteria, fungus, etc (microorganism) that causes disease in its host which could be  human, animal, plant or another microorganism
(See Wikipedia)
infectious agent - Same as "pathogen"

infection (noun) - "the invasion of a host organism's bodily tissues by disease-causing organisms, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to these organisms and the toxins they produce. Infections are caused by microorganisms such as viruses, prions, bacteria, and viroids, and larger organisms like macroparasites and fungi. Hosts can fight infections using their immune system. Mammalian hosts react to infections with an innate response, often involving inflammation, followed by an adaptive response. Pharmaceuticals can also help fight infections" (See Wikipedia)
infection with the virus
human infections with the Zika virus

infected - having a disease transmitted from someone else ซึ่งติดเชื้อ
infected with a virus

rare - uncommon, unusual ซึ่งหายาก not happening very often ที่หาได้ยาก เกิดขึ้นได้ยาก
a rare virus
rare virus found in Thailand

mystery - สิ่งลี้ลับ, สิ่งลึกลับ, ความลึกลับ
a mystery virus

diagnosis (noun) - the judgement by a doctor of what illness a person has การวินิจฉัยโรค, การหาสาเหตุ
diagnose (verb)
diagnose with a rare virus

dengue fever virus - (See Wikipedia)
West Nile virus  - (See Wikipedia)

public health - the health of large numbers of people who live in a community or whole country การสาธารณสุข
authorities - the government, the people who control and govern some activity ผู้มีอำนาจ เจ้าหน้าที่ เจ้าหน้าที่ของรัฐ  ผู้มีอำนาจของรัฐ
public health authorities

A Canadian woman has been diagnosed with a rare virus after she returned from a trip to Thailand, according to public health authorities.

positive - without any doubt แน่ใจ
tested positive -the test said they had the virus and disease
tested positive for Zika virus

confirmed - say that a claim is true, verified (show that it is definitely true or definitely exists)
confirmed infection 
the first confirmed infection with the virus in Canada

The woman from the western province of Alberta tested positive for Zika virus, the first confirmed infection with the virus in Canada, Global News reported.

bug - แมลง
bite - กัด
bug bite แมลงกัด

numerous - many มากมาย
numerous bug bites

sustain - to experience, suffer, undergo (have something bad happen to you) (explain: sustain injuries)
sustained numerous bug bites
sustained numerous bug bites during a trip to Bangkok

spread - to (cause to) cover, reach or have an effect on a wider or increasing area or number of people แพร่กระจาย  แพร่กระจายไปทั่ว แพร่หลาย
the virus is spread by mosquitoes

The 45-year-old woman reported having sustained numerous bug bites during a trip to Bangkok and Phuket in January. The Zika virus is usually spread by mosquitoes.

recover - become fit and healthy again ฟื้นฟูร่างกาย
recover from illness

She became ill after returning to Canada but recovered after about two and a half weeks.

took  longer - used up more time, was longer
considerably - much more, by a large amount 
took considerably longer

figure out - work out, calculate คำนวณ, คิดคำนวณ
it took considerably longer to figure out that she had been infected with the Zika virus

infected - having a disease transmitted from someone else ซึ่งติดเชื้อ
an infected monkey

isolated - set apart from; disconnected from แยกออกมา ตั้งอยู่เดี่ยวๆ
the virus was first isolated from an infected monkey in the Zika Forest of Uganda in 1947.

However, it took considerably longer to figure out that she had been infected with the Zika virus, so named after it was first isolated from an infected monkey in the Zika Forest of Uganda in 1947.

appearance - when you can see something (comes to a place and exists there) การปรากฏตัว
make appearance
make first appearance

The virus did not make its first appearance outside Africa until 2007 when a case was reported in Micronesia.

reminder  - something that helps you remember something เครื่องเตือนความจำ,เครื่องเตือนใจ, ใบเตือน, จดหมายเตือน
serves as a reminder - helps people remember something
serves as a reminder to doctors and laboratories

diagnosis (noun) - the judgement by a doctor of what illness a person has การวินิจฉัยโรค, การหาสาเหตุ
diagnostic (adjective)

diagnostic tests
regular diagnostic tests

pick up - to detect (to be able to see or determine if something is there or isn't there)
picked up by diagnostic tests

rare pathogens
rare pathogens not picked up by regular diagnostic tests

travellers may bring home some rare pathogens that are not picked up by regular diagnostic tests

Health authorities said the case serves as a reminder to doctors and laboratories that travellers may bring home some rare pathogens that are not picked up by regular diagnostic tests.

fever (noun) - an abnormally high body temperature ไข้ ไข้สูง
feverish (adjective)
she became feverish

transmitted -  when a virus or other disease causing thing goes from one person who has the disease to another person
the virus is transmitted to people by a number of mosquito species

species - a set of animals or plants in which the members have similar characteristics to each other and can breed with each other พันธ์,จำพวก
mosquito species

West Nile or dengue fever viruses, it is transmitted to people by a number of mosquito species

Human infections with the Zika virus have been reported from parts of Africa and Asia. Like the West Nile or dengue fever viruses, it is transmitted to people by a number of mosquito species. Also like those viruses, Zika is a member of the flavivirus family.

nauseous  - to feel sick, to feel like you are going to vomit คลื่นไส้, ซึ่งรู้สึกคลื่นไส้
vomit - when the things in your stomach pass up and out of your mouth การอาเจียน, การอ้วก
nauseous with vomiting

fatigued - tired, exhausted, all your energy used up ซึ่งเหนื่อยล้า, ซึ่งอ่อนแรง 
extremely fatigued - very tired

blisters - little sores, a small raised area on the skin (often caused by rubbing something or being burned) ส่า (See Wikipedia)
blisters in her mouth

Three days after the traveller returned to Alberta, she became feverish, nauseous with vomiting and extremely fatigued. She also reported having blisters in her mouth.

severe - very serious and worrying ที่รุนแรง ที่น่าเป็นห่วง
a severe backache

rash - when skin changes colour, appearance, and texture, usually becoming red (See Wikipedia)
a rash on her extremities and palms

emergency - an unexpected situation involving danger in which immediate action is necessary เหตุฉุกเฉิน
she visited a hospital emergency department

illnesses
she was tested for a number of illnesses

malaria - ไข้มาลาเรีย (See Wikipedia)
measles - highly contagious respiratory disease with cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash (See Wikipedia)

negative - showing no signs of being infected by a particular virus, bacteria, etc.
the tests came back negative

Later she developed a severe backache and a rash on her extremities, including her palms. At that point, she visited a hospital emergency department, where she was tested for a number of illnesses, including dengue fever, malaria and measles. The tests came back negative.

antibody - a substance in the blood produced by the body used to fight infections and disease and part of the immune system (See Wikipedia)
antibodies in her blood to Zika virus

The woman was finally diagnosed after the US Centers for Disease Control laboratory at Fort Collins, Colorado, found antibodies in her blood to Zika virus. Though she had been travelling with family and they too reported having been bitten, none of them fell ill.