Medication
There is no specific medicine or vaccine for Zika virus. Treat the symptoms. Get plenty of rest. Drink fluids to prevent dehydration. Take medicine such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®) to reduce fever and pain. Do not take aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) until dengue can be ruled out to reduce the risk of bleeding.
What is the treatment for Zika virus?
Health Effects & Risks. Zika infection during pregnancy can cause a birth defect called microcephaly, as well as other severe fetal brain defects. CDC is investigating the link between Zika virus infection and GBS, an uncommon sickness of the nervous system.
What are the health risks of the Zika virus?
Zika virus disease is generally mild, and severe disease requiring hospitalization and deaths are uncommon. Zika infection during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects and is associated with other pregnancy problems.
What is the prognosis of Zika virus?
Zika infection during pregnancy can cause a birth defect called microcephaly, as well as other severe fetal brain defects. CDC is investigating the link between Zika virus infection and GBS, an uncommon sickness of the nervous system.
What is Zika virus and how does it affect pregnancy?
Why is Zika virus a concern?
Complications of Zika virus disease Zika virus infection during pregnancy is a cause of microcephaly and other congenital abnormalities in the developing fetus and newborn. Zika infection in pregnancy also results in pregnancy complications such as fetal loss, stillbirth, and preterm birth.
Is there a treatment for the Zika virus?
There is no specific medicine or vaccine for Zika virus.
What is the treatment for possible future treatments of Zika virus?
There is no specific treatment for infection with the Zika virus. To help relieve symptoms, get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. The over-the-counter (OTC) medication acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) may help relieve joint pain and fever.
Should I be worried about Zika virus?
If you have symptoms of Zika (fever, rash, headache, joint pain, red eyes, or muscle pain) and you live in or recently traveled to an area with risk of Zika, you should see your doctor or healthcare provider and tell him or her about your symptoms and recent travel.
Why is there no vaccine for Zika?
Purified inactivated vaccine (ZPIV) As the ZPIV vaccine contains inactivated Zika particles, the virus cannot replicate and cause disease in humans. U.S. Army researchers agreed to give Sanofi permission to develop the technology, but protest in Congress halted the venture.
How is the Zika virus being controlled?
How can Zika be prevented? The best protection from Zika virus is preventing mosquito bites indoors and outdoors, especially from sunrise to sunset when mosquitos are most active. Such measures include: Use mosquito repellent in accordance with the instructions indicated on the product label.
Is it possible to completely prevent a Zika infection explain your response?
The only way to completely prevent Zika infection during pregnancy is to not travel to areas with risk of Zika and to use precautions or avoid sex with someone who has recently traveled to a risk area.
Do we have vaccine for Zika virus?
No vaccine or treatment is currently available. As a response to the Zika virus epidemic, the development of a vaccine has emerged as a top priority of the US government. Preclinical work has demonstrated efficacy and human vaccine trials are on-going.
Does Zika have a vaccine?
Although Zika virus (ZIKV) infection is typically self-limiting, other associated complications such as congenital birth defects and the Guillain–Barré syndrome are well described. There are no approved vaccines against ZIKV infection.
Is Zika still a concern 2021?
But since 2018, no local Zika transmission has been reported in the continental United States; and less than 100 travelers have acquired the disease. In 2021, only 1 traveler contracted Zika and there have been no confirmed cases of Zika using molecular testing from the U.S. territories.
How is Zika fever treated and prevented?
How is Zika treated? Antiviral treatment is being investigated, but there is currently no vaccine or medication available to prevent or treat Zika infection. If you are exhibiting symptoms, get plenty of rest and drink fluids to prevent dehydration. You may use acetaminophen for fever.
How to treat Zika virus?
There is no specific treatment for infection with the Zika virus. To help relieve symptoms, get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. The over-the-counter (OTC) medication acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) may help relieve joint pain and fever. The symptoms of Zika virus infection are similar to other mosquito-borne ...
What is the procedure to test for Zika?
If you are pregnant and at risk of Zika virus infection, your doctor may also recommend one of the following procedures: Amniocentesis, which involves inserting a hollow needle into the uterus to remove a sample of amniotic fluid (amniocentesis) to be tested for the Zika virus.
Is Zika virus worldwide?
The mosquito that carries the Zika virus is found worldwide. Stay up to date on Zika virus case numbers on the CDC's Zika virus website. Your doctor will likely ask about your medical and travel history. Be sure to describe any international trips in detail, including the countries you and your sexual partner have visited, the dates of travel, ...
Where did the Zika virus occur?
Prior to 2015, Zika Virus (ZIKV) outbreaks had occurred in areas of Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. Although a causal relationship between Zika infection during pregnancy and microcephaly is strongly suspected, such a connection has not yet been scientifically proven.
How does ZikV spread?
ZIKV is transmitted to humans primarily through the bite of infected mosquitos, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.
Is there a cure for ZikV?
There is currently no vaccine and antiviral treatment available for ZIKV infection, and the only way to prevent congenital ZIKV infection is to prevent maternal infection. In February 2016, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) activated ZIKV as a Category V Notifiable Infectious Disease similar to Ebola virus disease and MERS.
Can Zika cause birth defects?
Zika infection during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects and is associated with other pregnancy problems. Rarely, Zika may cause Guillain-Barré syndrome, an uncommon sickness of the nervous system in which a person’s own immune system damages the nerve cells, causing muscle weakness, and sometimes, paralysis.
Does Zika cause bruising?
Very rarely, Zika may cause severe disease affecting the brain, causing swelling of the brain or spinal cord or a blood disorder which can result in bleeding, bruising or slow blood clotting. Page last reviewed: May 14, 2019.
How to prevent ZickV?
To date, there is no vaccine and antiviral treatment available for ZIKV infection, and the only way to prevent congenital ZIKV infection is to prevent maternal infection. The CDC recommended that serologic testing be offered to asymptomatic pregnant women 2-12 weeks after returns from areas with ongoing ZIKV transmission. For asymptomatic pregnant women who are residing in areas with ongoing ZIKV transmission, Serological testing should be performed at the first prenatal care visit, and then followed-up in the mid-second trimester to prevent ongoing risk of transmission for women throughout their pregnancies. For symptomatic pregnant women, the CDC has recommended testing during the first week of illness. 28 Treatment of congenital ZIKV infection is supportive and should take into consideration specific medical and neurodevelopmental concerns for the infant's individual needs. No evidence has been found indicating that ZIKV infection can be transmitted through breast milk, and recommendations may even continue to suggest that women breastfeed infants even in areas with ZIKV found. 29
How to prevent Zika virus?
Pregnant women residing in or traveling to areas of active ZIKV transmission should take steps to prevent ZIKV infection through prevention of mosquito bites, including use of insect repellant. For those pregnant women who have recently traveled to Zika-infected areas, they should consult with their healthcare provider even if they don't feel any symptoms of the disease. 12, 27
How to prevent mosquito bites?
Preventing further mosquito bite can be accomplished by using insect repellant, wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants, and treating clothing with permethrin. However, insect repellent should not be used on babies younger than 2 months of age. An infected female mosquito lays several hundred eggs on the wall of the water filled containers. Therefore, it is important to eliminate standing water in and outside of the home by emptying, washing and scrubbing thoroughly, and then tightly covering water storage containers (buckets, cisterns, rain barrels) once a week so that mosquitoes cannot get inside to lay eggs. 23
How long does it take for a mosquito bite to show symptoms?
11 The symptoms typically occur approximately 2 to 12 days after the mosquito bite, presenting most commonly with fever, maculopapular rash, conjunctivitis, and joint pain, and the clinical illness lasts for several days to a week. Other symptoms include muscle pain and headache, but abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, mucus membrane ulcerations, and pruritus are rarely observed. 12 There is a possible association between ZIKV and microcephaly in newborn babies with maternal ZIKV infection, 4, 13 and some infected adults with neurologic conditions like Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) were also reported. 14 By the first week of February, 2016, 4783 suspected cases of microcephaly have been reported in Brazil; of these cases, 1132 (24%) were investigated and classified. If was found that 404/1132 (36%) cases had confirmed microcephaly and/or central nervous system malformations, and 17/404 (4%) were positive for ZIKV infection. 4 In July 2015, Brazil reported 76 cases with ZIKV infection with neurologic syndromes in Bahia state, and 42 of those cases were confirmed to have GBS. 5 In late January 2016, 104, 2, 1, and 255 cases of GBS were reported from El Salvador, Martinique, New Zealand, and Venezuela, respectively. French Polynesia also reported one imported case of ZIKV with neurological symptoms in February 2016. 4 Some countries, including Colombia and Suriname, reported ZIKV infection with deaths involving GBS or chronic medical illness. 15
How is ZikV transmitted?
ZIKV is transmitted to humans primarily through the bite of infected mosquitos, namely: Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus), which are found throughout much of the Americas, including part of the United States. These mosquitoes are the principle vectors of dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever. 6, 7 These vectors are aggressive day time biters that breed in domestic water holding containers, and feed primarily in the outdoors and indoors near dwellings. During the outbreaks, anthroponotic (human-to-vector-to-human) transmission can occur. Mosquitoes become infected when they bite a person already infected with the virus. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to other people through bites. To date, infected ZIKV RNA has been detected in blood, urine, semen, saliva, cerebrospinal fluid, amniotic fluid, and breast milk. Regarding transmission of the virus through the mother and to her baby during pregnancy, blood transfusion and sexual contact have been reported; however, there is currently no evidence that the virus is transmitted to babies through breast feeding. 7, 8, 9, 10 However, the mechanism by which some mothers can pass the virus to their babies is still under study.
How many countries have ZikV?
As of February 4, 2016, the ZIKV epidemic has continued to spread in most of the countries where its presence was indicated, and evidence of local ZIKV infection cases has been reported from 31 countries within the past 2 months, and 36 countries in the past 9 months. 4 Ultimately, ZIKV may be spread globally into additional environments where mosquitos can live and breed. The geographical range of ZIKV infection has increased in 2015 and 2016, with 26 countries and territories in the Americas now reporting autochthonous transmission of ZIKV. 5
What is a microcephaly baby?
Microcephaly is a condition where a baby's head is characteristically much smaller than expected compared to babies of the same gestational age and sex. Infants with microcephaly can have a range of problems such as neurological sequelae, seizure, problems with movement and balance, intellectual disability, vision or hearing problems, and developmental problems such as speech, delay milestones like sitting, standing, and walking. These problems can range from the mild to the severe, and may have lifetime consequences for infected patients. 30, 31 In early 2015, ZIKV infections were first confirmed in babies with microcephaly in Brazil, and the incidence of microcephaly in fetuses born to mothers with ZIKV infection continues to increase. This possible connection between ZIKV infection and microcephaly in babies represents a substantial public health concern. And apart from microcephaly, other brain abnormalities that disrupt brain growth 32 such as intracranial calcifications, ventriculomegaly, and neuronal migration disorders (lissencephaly and pachygyria) may also be found to have some potential involvement in or vulnerability to ZIKV infection. Recently, Mlakar et al. reported on a case of severe fetal brain injury associated with ZIKV infection with vertical transmission. Pathological findings of the fetal brain showed complete agyria, hydrocephalus, multifocal dystrophic calcifications in the cortex and subcortical white matter, with associated cortical displacement and mild focal inflammation. ZIKV was detected on RT-PCR assay from the fetal brain; however, neither ZIKV nor pathological changes were detected in any other fetal organs, which suggests a strong relationship between ZIKV and neurological damage. 33
When is the most at risk time for a pregnant woman to become infected?
Although scientists are still trying to answer basic questions about the virus, it appears that the most at risk time for a pregnant woman to become infected is early in pregnancy. The amount of time between initial infections and the possible births of infants with microcephaly can be several months, which some health officials speculate could be the reason there’s less sense of urgency among the public. “The problem appears a little theoretical because it’s largely asymptomatic and largely in the future,” Frieden told TIME in a recent interview. “We will have babies born with microcephaly.”
Is Zika a disease?
While Zika is the most recent mosquito borne outbreak to spread rapidly through the Americas, it follows a contagion similar to other diseases that have emerged in the area in the last few years like dengue and chikungunya. Both of which can have serious side effects for anyone infected. Given how often people travel today, among other factors, health experts anticipate that Zika is not the last emerging infectious disease to make its way stateside, which is why adequate funding for such diseases remains important. In a recent Op-Ed in TIME, two public health experts argued Zika is an issue of national security.
What is the best way to prevent Zika?
Mosquito bites. Protection against mosquito bites during the day and early evening is a key measure to prevent Zika virus infection. Special attention should be given to prevention of mosquito bites among pregnant women, women of reproductive age, and young children.
How is Zika transmitted?
Transmission. Zika virus is primarily transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito from the Aedes genus , mainly Aedes aegypti, in tropical and subtropical regions. Aedes mosquitoes usually bite during the day, peaking during early morning and late afternoon/evening. This is the same mosquito that transmits dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever.
How long does it take for a virus to show symptoms?
The incubation period (the time from exposure to symptoms) of Zika virus disease is estimated to be 3 – 14 days. The majority of people infected with Zika virus do not develop symptoms. Symptoms are generally mild including fever, rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise, and headache, and usually last for 2 – 7 days.
How many countries have Zika?
Outbreaks and evidence of transmission soon appeared throughout the Americas, Africa, and other regions of the world. To date, a total of 86 countries and territories have reported evidence of mosquito-transmitted Zika infection. More on the history of Zika virus.
Is there any treatment for Zika?
There is no treatment available for Zika virus infection or its associated diseases. Symptoms of Zika virus infection are usually mild. People with symptoms such as fever, rash, or arthralgia should get plenty of rest, drink fluids, and treat pain and fever with common medicines.
Can Zika cause fetal loss?
Zika infection in pregnancy also results in pregnancy complications such as fetal loss, stillbirth, and preterm birth. Zika virus infection is also a trigger of Guillain-Barré syndrome, neuropathy and myelitis, particularly in adults and older children. Research is ongoing to investigate the effects of Zika virus infection on pregnancy outcomes, ...
Can Zika be transmitted to a fetus?
Zika virus can be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregna ncy, resulting in microcephaly (smaller than normal head size) and other congenital malformations in the infant, collectively referred to as congenital Zika syndrome.
What mosquitoes are responsible for the Zika virus?
An Aedes aegypti mosquito, the type responsible for transmitting Zika virus. The first cases of locally transmitted Zika virus in the continental United States were confirmed in Florida in July 2016 followed by Texas in November 2016.
Where is the Zika virus?
Why NIAID Is Researching Zika Virus. Zika virus has circulated in areas of Africa and Southeast Asia but was not known to cause large outbreaks. In 2007, it caused an outbreak in a new region, Yap Island in Micronesia. In 2013, the virus caused an even larger outbreak in French Polynesia.
How long do you have to follow a pregnant woman after she gets infected with Zika?
The participants’ infants will be carefully followed for at least one year after birth.
How many pregnant women are in the Zika trial?
The study aims to enroll as many as 10,000 pregnant women at up to 15 sites.
Which countries have Zika virus?
Since that time, Brazil and other countries and territories in Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) have experienced ongoing Zika virus transmission. An Aedes aegypti mosquito, the type responsible for transmitting Zika virus. Credit. NIAID.
Can a pregnant woman get Zika virus?
In addition, returning travelers infected with Zika have passed the virus on to their sexual partners. Pregnant women infected with Zika virus can pass the infection onto their babies during pregnancy or around the time of birth. During fetal development, Zika virus can cause a serious birth defect of the brain called microcephaly, ...
