Research Papers /
Research Critique- I have to read an article and Critique it but I am not sure how to start [5]
Introduction
Firstly, what is Zika virus disease? It is an illness brought on by the Zika virus, which is spread to individuals essentially through the bite of a contaminated Aedes mosquito.The most widely recognized manifestations are fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Secondly, microcephaly is anomalous diminutiveness of the head, an inborn condition connected with inadequate mental health."Possible Association Between Zika Virus Infection and Microcephaly - Brazil 2015", by Lavinia Schuler-Faccini described a plausible link between microcephaly and Zika virus. The main point of the article is to find out if the recent increase of babies born with microcephaly has a connection with the recent outbreak of Zika virus in Brazil or whether additional viable causes can be related to the sudden increase. Although there were at least four things that were not considered when the research was conducted and microcephaly is not solely caused by Zika virus; consequently, the amount of evidence that were provided by the report is compelling enough to make one believe that there is a connection between the two.
Summary
An outbreak of Zika virus disease, a flavivirus transmitted via Aedes mosquitoes, was initially perceived in northeastern Brazil in early 2015, in September a sharp increment in the quantity of reported instances of microcephaly was accounted for in zones influenced by the outbreak. It is not clear whether microcephaly is linked to Zika virus, because dengue fever was also circulating at the same time. There are wide host of other factors that contribute to microcephaly and the discoveries in this report are liable to no less than four limitations. Prevention is necessary to protect the unborn child and preventive strategies has been established. Zika virus was later confirmed in other countries. Schuler-Faccini believes that more investigation is still needed to conclude if microcephaly and Zika are connected.
Statement of the Problem
Research Topic
Lavinia Schuler-Faccini seeks to address the link between microcephaly and Zika virus in Brazil. Does the recent increase in microcephaly in northeast Brazil has a connection with the recent outbreak Zika virus or are there other causes? Is it in view of the flare-up that these instances of microcephaly are being seen like never before?
B. The research problem
The problem is to understand if the recent outbreak of Zika virus in northeast Brazil has any connection with the increased in microcephaly that was seen in babies whose mothers had been infected with the virus during pregnancy. Reports of an increase in number of newborns with microcephaly in Zika virus-affected was occurring in September of that same year (Lavinia Schuler-Faccini, 2015, p.59). As the title of the article suggest, there is a connection between Zika virus and microcephaly. The RNA of the Zika virus was found in amniotic fluid of two women whose fetuses had been found to have microcephaly by prenatal ultrasound (Lavinia Schuler-Faccini, 2015, p.59).
C. Research Questions/Hypotheses
There were no specific research questions or hypothesis that was asked by Lavinia Schuler-Faccini; However, Schuler-Faccini did mentioned four things that were not taken into consideration when the research was conducted. Firstly, Schuler-Faccini indicated that verifiable birth pervasiveness of microcephaly in Brazil, roughly 0.5 cases for every 10,000 live births, figured from birth certificates, was lower than anticipated evaluations of 1-2 cases for each 10,000 live births, which may demonstrate general under-ascertainment of microcephaly in Brazil. Secondly, before the November MoH caution, in spite of the fact that portrayals of innate irregularities were accounted for, baby head circumference was not routinely recorded. Thus, it is conceivable that mild instances of microcephaly may not have been accounted for. Since the MoH caution and the attendant media scope of the flare-up, observation for microcephaly and doctor reporting of suspected cases have expanded. Thirdly, in light of the fact that Zika virus disease was not laboratory-confirmed in newborn children or their moms, the historical backdrop of a nonspecific rash sickness during pregnancy is liable to review predisposition and might have brought about misclassification of potential Zika virus exposure. Lastly, this report does not remark on different components characteristic of intrauterine contaminations, for example, hepatosplenomegaly, rash, and chorioretinitis, or on a few elements that have been accounted for in cases with assumed Zika including hearing loss, pale maculas, and dysphagia (Lavinia Schuler-Faccini, 2015, p.60-61). He also mentioned that there are other contributing factors that may lead to microcephaly; therefore, more research is needed.
Methodology
After the outbreak of the Zika virus and the increased number of microcephaly in babies, the Brazil Ministry of Health built up a team to explore the conceivable relationship of microcephaly with Zika infection disease amid pregnancy and a registry for episode microcephaly cases and pregnancy results among women suspected to be infected with Zika virus (Lavinia Schuler-Faccini, 2015, p.59). Among a companion of 35 babies with microcephaly conceived during August-October 2015 in eight of Brazil's twenty-six states and reported to the registry, the moms of each of the 35 babies had lived in or gone by Zika infection influenced territories during pregnancy, 71% newborn children had serious microcephaly, 49% had no less than one neurologic variation from the norm, and among 27 babies who had neuroimaging studies, all had irregularities (Lavinia Schuler-Faccini, 2015, p.59). A far-reaching convention for warning and examination of all babies with microcephaly and all ladies with suspected Zika infection contamination during pregnancy was produced by the MoH and executed across the nation (Lavinia Schuler-Faccini, 2015, p.59).
Review of the Article
Lavinia Schuler-Faccini started off with a review of the report, giving a brief introduction on how Zika virus is spread and went into more details on the increase in Zika virus outbreak in northeast Brazil. According to Lavinia Schuler-Faccini, Zika virus is a flavivirus that is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes and it was identified in northeast Brazil, where dengue fever was also circulating at the time of the outbreak (Lavinia Schuler-Faccini, 2015, p.59). Most of the article was clear, except for a section on page 59 that I found to be repetitive, at the beginning of the paragraph Schuler-Faccini mentioned, "In early 2015, an outbreak of Zika virus, a flavivirus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, was identified in northeast Brazil, an area where dengue virus was also circulating", and at the bottom of the page in a new paragraph he stated, "An outbreak of Zika virus infection was recognized in northeast Brazil in early 2015" (Lavinia Schuler-Faccini, 2015, p.59). The fact that he mentioned the outbreak of Zika virus in early 2015 in northeast Brazil twice was not needed, because the intended reader of this article will be able to understand when and where the outbreak occurred when mentioned once.
A lot of informative information and evidence were given by the article; Nevertheless, Schuler-Faccini mentioned that there were certain things that were not considered when doing this report (Lavinia Schuler-Faccini, 2015, p.60-61). He also mentioned that microcephaly is not solely caused by Zika virus; instead there is a wide host of other factors that contribute to it. Microcephaly can come about because of chromosomal irregularities; introduction to medications, liquor, or other environmental toxins and certain metabolic issue; moreover, the quantity of confirmation that was given in the overall report was sufficient. Although those factors should be taken into consideration, it is not significant to link microcephaly and Zika virus. According to the CDC, since these underlying reports of a connection between Zika and microcephaly, analysts over the world started attempting to ponder the connection between Zika during pregnancy and microcephaly. In a recent article, CDC researchers reported that there is currently enough confirmation to infer that Zika virus disease during pregnancy is a source for microcephaly and other extreme fetal brain imperfections and has been connected to issues in babies, including eye deformities, hearing loss, and hindered development ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cdc.gov/zika/pregnancy/question-answers.html). Preventive measures were built up by The Brazil Ministry of Health to forcefully endeavors to take out mosquito reproducing zone by evacuating standing water containers and personal measures that a person can take Such as, applying insect repellents, using mosquito nets, wearing long pants and shirts (Lavinia Schuler-Faccini, 2015, p.60). There were some lack of information as to why Schuler-Faccini thinks that more research is needed and why this will provide more information between the link of microcephaly and Zika virus during pregnancy, and if it will discredit the findings of the report or support it.
Conclusions
To conclude my final thoughts on this article, I do not think it is necessary to do further research to identify the link between microcephaly and Zika virus. There are plenty of proof that Zika virus causes microcephaly, along with a variety of other disability; thus, I do not agree with Schuler-Faccini idea of more research is needed. Overall the information that is presented by Lavinia Schuler-Faccini about the Zika virus and the link to microcephaly is informative. Schuler-Faccini did not make a good case for why more research is needed; subsequently, leading me to the conclusion that the two is connected.