Hesperian Health Guides
Zika Virus
HealthWiki > New Where There Is No Doctor > Malaria, Dengue, and Other Illnesses from Mosquitoes > Zika Virus
Zika may cause a mild fever, rash, irritated eyes, and body aches, usually for a few days only. However, most people who get Zika virus have no signs.
Contents
Signs of Zika
- Low fever for 1 or 2 days, usually not over 38° (101°F)
- Rash
- Irritated or red eyes
- Joint pain
- Itching skin
- Muscle pain and headache
Zika is usually mild and lasts just a few days or up to 1 week. Usually a person with Zika virus is not sick enough to need to go to a hospital.
Treatment can help you feel better.
Prevention
To prevent Zika, avoid mosquito bites and practice community mosquito control. While most Zika comes from mosquito bites, it is possible for a man who has had Zika to pass it to a woman through sex. So in regions with Zika, using condoms during sex will help prevent it from spreading.
Zika and pregnancy
Zika can be very dangerous for a baby growing in the womb. Zika can cause babies to be born with a serious condition called microcephaly, where the baby’s head is too small. Babies born to women with Zika in pregnancy may die at birth or may have problems developing physically and mentally. Fortunately, most of these babies will have not have problems. But all women, especially women who might be pregnant, should prevent mosquito bites—cover up with clothing, use mosquito repellents, and keep mosquitoes away by using screens and bednets in the home.
If there is a Zika outbreak where you live and you want to get pregnant, you can consider waiting until the outbreak ends. Communities can ensure that birth control is made accessible to all women to limit harm from the Zika virus (see the chapter on Family Planning and the book Health Actions for Women).
Because Zika virus can be passed between men and women during sex, where there is Zika, use condoms to prevent passing Zika virus. If the woman is already pregnant, it is especially important that she either avoids sex or that she and her partner use condoms to prevent her from getting Zika while pregnant.
In an area with no Zika from mosquitoes, a woman can still get Zika from sex if her partner has traveled to an area with Zika. He should use condoms for at least 6 months after his return to prevent spreading Zika virus through sex.
No babies have gotten Zika from breast milk. Even if you have had Zika, breastfeeding is the best way to nourish and protect your baby’s health.
When a baby is born with birth defects from Zika
The baby born with problems from Zika during pregnancy may have a small head and a small brain. He may develop vision, hearing, or other physical problems and be mentally slow. Health workers check a baby’s eyes and vision at 3 months and can also look for problems by comparing the child’s abilities and activities to what other children do, using a child development chart (see Appendix A in the chapter Caring for Children). Give the child all of his vaccines and regular care. If the baby is born with a small head or as soon as eye or other problems are noticed, help the family find the government or community programs that offer therapy or other resources they will need to help their child. Children who are developmentally slow need the same stimulation that any child needs from her parents and family, including talking to them, playing games and music, and showing love. But they need more. They need more help and repeated activities to learn to use their minds and their bodies. Hesperian’s books Disabled Village Children (chapter 34) and Helping Children Who Are Blind have more information on helping children with these challenges.