The Zika virus is transmitted through Aedes mosquitoes, however there have been cases where the virus has been transmitted through sexual intercourse. This virus usually causes mild infections; it also includes some symptoms such as muscle pain, skin rashes, itching all over the body and fevers that last up to 2-7 days. However, the Zika virus may have more critical effects 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 poor brain development abnormal. The Zika virus was first found in Uganda in 1947, however outbreaks of the virus have been reported in tropical Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. The virus spread to countries like Brazil which attracted a lot of attention to the virus since the 2016 Olympics were hosted in Brazil. This caused panic among the public; this allowed the media to take charge of the story and manipulate it in different ways. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayFor example, The Guardian said the Zika virus could pose a more serious global health threat than Ebola, health experts say. This article shows how the media manipulates the public into fearing that the virus is a bigger threat than Ebola. This can create chaos among the public as some people believe that the virus can infect them. In the article the scientist states that “In many ways the Zika epidemic is worse than the Ebola epidemic of 2014-2015,” said Jeremy Farrar, head of the Wellcome Trust. “Most virus carriers are asymptomatic. It is a silent infection that affects a highly vulnerable group of individuals – pregnant women – and is associated with horrific consequences for their babies.” There is currently no prospect of a vaccine for Zika, unlike Ebola, for which several are now being tested. “The real problem is that trying to develop a vaccine that would have to be tested in 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 panic in the public by claiming there is no vaccine. Another example of how a news outlet influenced public perception would be in the Time article where 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 deceived the public as the article states that half of Brazilian women avoid pregnancy, furthermore in the article it says 'The latest report from a Brazilian scientist studying the impact that the epidemic is having on reproductive choices shows that the consequences of the Zika epidemic could be long-lasting. In a short letter published in the BMJ Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care, the researcher reports that 56% of women in a nationally representative sample surveyed said they avoided becoming pregnant because of Zika. In the most affected areas of Brazil, in the north-eastern part of the country, more and more women have declared that they do not want to get pregnant, just as the number of black and non-white women has increased. Time news manipulated the research and made a headline out of it. In reality, only half of the women who responded to the survey would avoid pregnancy. In addition to this, The Guardian newspaper has created tension in the UKpublishing this article “Zika virus: three travelers returning to UK diagnosed” Three travelers returning to the UK from South and Central America have been diagnosed with Zika virus, a mosquito transmitted disease that has been linked to brain deformities in children . Public Health England said in a statement on its website that the three people had contracted the virus after traveling to Colombia, Suriname and Guyana, all countries experiencing Zika outbreaks. Once again the media created panic among the public as they used the headline to manipulate their story. Newspaper 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 see it as a bigger threat than it actually is. Additionally, The Telegraph published a more downplayed article that includes the names of athletes who will miss the Rio Olympics due to the Zika virus. This article uses high profile names like 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 could present to my wife with future pregnancies and to future members of our family. While competing in the Olympics on behalf of my country has always been an important goal, playing golf cannot take precedence over the safety of our family. I won't put them at risk." A more contrasting example of an article about the Zika virus would be a guardian article, in this article it states “Up to 1 in 20 babies born to mothers with Zika have birth defects, report says” This report is unique compared to other articles as it does not overly exaggerate the effects of the Zika virus as it states that only 1 in 20 babies born to mothers with Zika will have birth defects, which suggests that this article is more of an informational article rather than an article whose purpose is to attract attention . On the one hand the media created a positive contribution to the public's perception of the Zika virus as they made people aware of this virus and taught them how to avoid it, for example an An article published by The Guardian states that in the United Kingdom 53 cases of Zika have been confirmed, the health agency says. This article would have both a positive and negative impact. It would have a positive impact as this article would make the UK aware of the virus due to the high number of Zika cases in the UK, which could allow the UK government to take action. The negative impact is the public panic this would create. This article also explains 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 experience symptoms themselves. This would have a positive impact as 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 as it proves its validity as the source of this information is very reliable as these are huge organizations with trustworthy status. Furthermore, another article that has contributed positively to the public perception of the Zika virus is the one mentioned above, published by The Telegraph, which mentioned that Jason Day will not go to Brazil “The reason for my decision is my concerns about the possible transmission of the Zika virus and the potential risks it could present to my wife's future pregnancies and future members of our family. Even if competing at".