The Zika Virus:
Here's what you should know:
Normally the Zika virus is extremely rare, fewer than 1000 cases in the U.S. per year. About 1 in 5 people become ill. The Zika virus cannot be cured, but treatment may help. It requires a medical diagnosis to confirm a patient has the Zika virus. Lab tests or imaging are often required. Zika Virus is spread by animals or insects and has been spread by sexual contact.
In most cases the illness is mild and symptoms last less than a week. There is a possible link between the Zika virus infection in pregnant women and subsequent birth defects. While it has not been confirmed, it is being investigated whether the Zika virus can cause microencephaly, a condition marked by abnormally small sized head size that can result in developmental problems
The most common symptoms of Zika virus are fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. There is not vaccine or specific treatment for Zika virus. Treatment focuses on relieving symptoms and includes rest, rehydrationb, and medications for fever and pain.
Here are travel notices of areas where the virus is present from the CDC:
Cape Verde
Caribbean Islands: Barbados, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Guadalupe, Haiti, Jamaica,
Martinique, Puerto Rico, Saint martin, and U.S. Virgin Islands
Central America: Costa Rica El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama
Mexico
Pacific Islands: American Samoa, Tonga
South America: Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay
Suriname, Venezuela.
