In the News: Zika Virus

Zika is a virus that a person can get from being bitten by an infected mosquito. The virus is of particular concern for pregnant women and women who may become pregnant.

About Zika Virus

Usually, symptoms of Zika virus are mild and include fever, rash, joint pain, and pinkeye. Often there are no symptoms at all. But there have been reports of problems in pregnant women who get infected, especially in Central and South America. There is concern that there might be a connection between Zika and an increase in microcephaly, a rare condition in which a child’s brain doesn’t fully develop, resulting in an abnormally small head.

Keep in Mind

If you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant, experts say you should postpone travel to countries where Zika virus has been found. In the Americas, Zika has been reported in: Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, St. Martin, Suriname, U.S. Virgin Islands, United States of America, and Venezuela. If you plan on traveling,please check the CDC travel website for the most current information.

The CDC currently recommends that only symptomatic mothers who have traveled to an area with Zika virus transmission or who have ultrasound findings of fetal microcephaly or intracranial calcifications be tested for Zika virus.

*culled from from the CDC and KidsHealth websites. The information contained is general information for the education of the user and is not case specific medical advice.