Zika

What Is It?

Zika is a mosquito-borne viral disease found in warm, humid tropical and subtropical environments.

Zika was originally discovered in Africa, and emerged in 2015 as a significant health concern in Brazil. It has since spread throughout the Americas and beyond. Typically, Zika is a mild febrile illness, but it can cause serious complications, especially for pregnant women.

How is it Acquired?

Zika virus is spread by the same mosquitos that transmit the dengue and chikungunya viruses.

A single encounter with an infected mosquito is all that is needed to become sick with Zika. The mosquito that spreads Zika prefers to live in and around human residences and it bites throughout the day.

Zika should be a concern for anyone traveling to regions with active transmission.

For most people infected with the Zika virus, however, the illness is mild.

Zika is of special concern for woman who are pregnant or attempting to conceive because the virus can infect the fetus and cause birth defects. Zika virus can also be transmitted sexually, and men infected with the virus may be able to spread it for months.

Signs and Symptoms

Typically, Zika is a mild febrile disease that is difficult to distinguish from other viral infections.

While a person infected with Zika may not have any symptoms, those who do are most likely to experience:

• Rash
• Fever
• Body pains

Most people begin to feel better within a week, but, in rare cases, Zika infection can lead to a temporary paralysis from which it may take months to recover.

In pregnant women, Zika virus can infect the fetus and cause birth defects, developmental issues, and neurological problems.

Precautions to Take

Talk to a healthcare provider about how to avoid mosquito bites by the mosquitos that transmit Zika, dengue, and chikungunya.

Some options include:

• Staying in buildings that have window and door screens to help keep mosquitos out
• Using air conditioning
• Using mosquito repellent on bare skin
• Treating clothes and shoes with mosquito repellent
• Wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts, socks, and shoes

Talk to a healthcare provider about potential risks. If you decide to travel, prevent mosquito bites and sexual exposure to Zika during and after travel. Women traveling without a male partner should wait 2 months after returning before becoming pregnant.

Pregnant women are encouraged to avoid traveling to an area experiencing Zika outbreaks.

There is no vaccine for Zika available to travelers.

Check out the Mosquito Protection Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the American Mosquito Control Association for more information.