Jennifer Powers

About

The Zika virus is spread to people through a bite from an infected Aedes species mosquito. Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent the virus.

 

Signs and Symptoms

The most common symptoms of the Zika virus are:

     - fever

     - rash

     - joint pain

     - red eyes

 

Symptoms are usually mild and last several days to a week after being bitten.  The incubation period ranges between 3 to 12 days after the bite of an infected mosquito. The virus is usually gone from the body in 5 to 7 days.  People very rarely die from the Zika virus. Since, these symptoms do not cause people to get extremely sick, people rarely are seen by a healthcare provider and do not realize they have been infected.  Once someone is infected, it is likely they are protected from future infections.
 

During the first week of infection, the Zika virus can be passed from an infected person to another mosquito through mosquito bites (which then could infect other people through bites). Additionally, it can be sexually transmitted from a man to his partner.

 

The Zika virus can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus and has been linked to microcephaly, a birth defect where the baby's head is smaller with smaller brains that might have not developed properly. Additional birth defects include eye defects, hearing deficits, and imparied growth. The link below provides more information for pregnant women.