The Zika virus is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, but there have been cases where the virus has been transmitted during sexual intercourse. This virus generally causes mild infections; This also includes some symptoms such as muscle pain, rashes, itching all over the body, and fevers that last 2 to 7 days. However, the Zika virus may have a more critical effect on the pregnant woman, as scientists have concluded that the Zika virus is the cause of birth defects such as microcephaly, which means the baby will have an abnormally small head which may be associated with abnormal brain development. The Zika virus was first discovered in Uganda in 1947, but outbreaks of the virus have been reported in tropical Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. The virus spread to countries like Brazil, which brought a lot of attention to the virus as the 2016 Olympics took place in Brazil. This caused panic among the public; this allowed the media to appropriate the story and manipulate it in different ways. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay For example, the Guardian said the Zika virus could be a bigger global health threat than Ebola, according to health experts. This article shows how the media manipulates the public into worrying that the virus poses a greater threat than Ebola. This can create chaos among the public, as some people might believe that the virus could infect them. In the article, the scientist states that "in many ways the Zika outbreak is worse than the Ebola outbreak of 2014-15," said Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust. “Most carriers of the virus do not show any symptoms. It is a silent infection in a very vulnerable group of individuals – pregnant women – that is associated with a horrible outcome for their babies. There is currently no prospect of a vaccine for Zika, unlike Ebola, for which several are currently in testing. “The real problem is that trying to develop a vaccine that should be tested on pregnant women is a practical and ethical nightmare,” added Mike Turner, head of infections and immunobiology at the Wellcome Trust. This article uses scientific research to create public panic because it claims there is no vaccine. Another example of a media outlet influencing public perception would be the Time article, in which the headline states that half of Brazilian women are avoiding pregnancy due to Zika. This article highlights how devastating the Zika virus can be. However, the media has misled the public since in the article they state that half of Brazilian women avoid pregnancy, and later in the article they say: "The latest report from a Brazilian scientist studying impact of the epidemic on reproductive choices shows that the consequences of the Zika epidemic could be lasting. In a brief letter published in the BMJ Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care, the researcher reports that 56 percent of women in a nationally representative sample surveyed said they had avoided getting pregnant because of Zika. More women in Brazil's hardest-hit regions, in the country's northeast, said they did not want to get pregnant, as did more black and non-white women. Time newspaper manipulated the research and made headlines about it. In reality, only half of womenwho responded to the survey would avoid pregnancy. In addition to this, The Guardian created tension in the UK by publishing this article "Zika virus: Three returning British travelers diagnosed" Three travelers who returned to the UK from South and Central America have been diagnosed with the Zika virus, a mosquito. -transmitted disease that has been linked to brain malformations in babies. Public Health England said in a statement on its website that the three people presented with the virus after traveling to Colombia, Suriname and Guyana, all countries experiencing Zika outbreaks. Once again, the media has created panic among the public by using headlines to manipulate their story. The headlines hide the fact that the virus is not contagious as it can only be transmitted through mosquitoes and sexual intercourse, which may impact the public as they may view this as a greater threat than 'it actually isn't. Additionally, the Telegraph published a more discreet article that included the names of athletes who did not participate in the Rio Olympics because of the Zika virus. This article uses very well known names such as Jason Day to persuade the public that going to Brazil can be very ignorant. “The reason for my decision is my concerns about the possible transmission of the Zika virus and the potential risks it may pose to my wife's body. future pregnancies and to future members of our family. Although participating in the Olympic Games on behalf of my country has always been a major goal, playing golf cannot take precedence over the safety of our family. I won't put them in danger. » A more contrasting example of an article on the Zika virus would be an article from the Guardian. In that article, they said: “As many as 1 in 20 babies born to mothers with Zika have birth defects, according to the report. » This report is unique from other articles because it does not exaggerate the effects of the Zika virus as it states that only 1 in 20 babies born to a mother with Zika will have birth defects, suggesting that this article is more informative. article rather than an article whose aim is to attract attention. On the one hand, the media has created a positive contribution to the public perception of the Zika virus, because it has made people aware of this virus and taught them how to avoid it, for example an article published by The Guardian stated that 53 cases of Zika had been confirmed in the United Kingdom, according to the health agency. This article would have both positive and negative impact. This would have a positive impact as this article would raise awareness of the virus in the UK due to the high number of Zika cases in the UK, which could enable the UK government to take action. The negative impact is the public panic this would create. This article also states how men and women should use condoms for eight weeks after returning from an area where the Zika virus is present and for six months if they have symptoms themselves. This would have a positive impact because it would prevent the spread of the virus by informing people about it. This information comes from the World Health Organization and PHE. People would trust this information because it proves its validity because the source of this information is very reliable because they are huge organizations with reliable status. Additionally, another article that contributed positively to the public perception of the Zika virus would be the aforementioned article that was published by The Telegraph which mentioned that Jason Day would not be traveling to Brazil. “The reason for my decision is my concerns about possible transmission. of the Zika virus and the risks ».