Overview

How Zika spreads

Zika can be transmitted

• Through mosquito bites
• From a pregnant woman to her fetus
• Through sex
• Through blood transfusion (very likely but not confirmed)

Zika symptoms

Many people infected with Zika virus won’t have symptoms or will only have mild symptoms. The most common symptoms of Zika are

• Fever
• Rash
• Headache
• Joint pain
• Red eyes
• Muscle pain

Symptoms can last for several days to a week. People usually don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika. Once a person has been infected with Zika, they are likely to be protected from future infections.

Why Zika is risky for some people

Zika infection during pregnancy can cause a birth defect of the brain called microcephaly and other severe brain defects. It is also linked to other problems, such as miscarriage, stillbirth, and other birth defects. There have also been increased reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome, an uncommon sickness of the nervous system, in areas affected by Zika.

How to prevent Zika

There is no vaccine to prevent Zika. The best way to prevent diseases spread by mosquitoes is to protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites.

Clothing

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
• Treat your clothing and gear with permethrin or buy pre-treated items.

Insect repellent

• Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents with one of the following active ingredients:
  DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone. Always follow the product label instructions.
• When used as directed, these insect repellents are proven safe and effective even for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
• Do not use insect repellents on babies younger than 2 months old.
• Do not use products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol on children younger than 3 years old.

At Home

• Stay in places with air conditioning and window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside.
• Take steps to control mosquitoes inside and outside your home.
• Mosquito netting can be used to cover babies younger than 2 months old in carriers, strollers, or cribs.
• Sleep under a mosquito bed net if air conditioned or screened rooms are not available or if sleeping outdoors.

Sexual transmission

• Prevent sexual transmission of Zika by using condoms or not having sex.