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For You
Summary
Zika is a virus that is spread mostly by mosquitoes. A pregnant mother can pass it to her baby during pregnancy or around the time of birth. It can spread through sexual contact. There have also been reports that the virus has spread through blood transfusions. There have been outbreaks of Zika virus in the United States, Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, parts of the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
Most people who get the virus do not get sick. One in five people do get symptoms, which can include a fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (pink eye). Symptoms are usually mild, and start 2 to 7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
A blood test can tell whether you have the infection. There are no vaccines or medicines to treat it. Drinking lots of fluids, resting, and taking acetaminophen might help.
Zika can cause microcephaly (a serious birth defect of the brain) and other problems in babies whose mothers were infected while pregnant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that pregnant women do not travel to areas where there is a Zika virus outbreak. If you do decide to travel, first talk to your doctor. You should also be careful to prevent mosquito bites:
- Use insect repellent
- Wear clothes that cover your arms, legs, and feet
- Stay in places that have air conditioning or that use window and door screens
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Symptoms
- Zika Symptoms and Complications (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Diagnosis and Tests
- Testing for Zika (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
-
Zika Virus Test
(National Library of Medicine)
Also in Spanish
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Find the Repellent that is Right for You (Environmental Protection Agency) Also in Spanish
- Protect against Mosquito Bites when Traveling (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
- Treatment of Zika (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- Congenital Zika Syndrome and Other Birth Defects (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Zika Virus: Recommendations for Travelers and People Living Abroad (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Specifics
- Zika Q&A (World Health Organization)
Statistics and Research
- Countries and Territories at Risk for Zika (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
-
Zika Virus
(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Zika Virus
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Women
- 5 Things to Know About Zika and Pregnancy (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Zika virus disease (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.