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Zika Virus

Zika virus is a disease spread by mosquitos. In most cases, the symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes, and they usually last less than a week. However, the disease is more dangerous to unborn babies, as it can cause serious birth defects.

71 Questions

How do you prevent getting the Zika virus?

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Asked by Wiki User

Prevention involves decreasing mosquitoes bites in areas where the disease occurs and proper use of condoms.

How do you feel about the zika virus?

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Asked by Wiki User

It is a cause of significant concern for those living in tropical areas where the mosquitoes that are the primary vector for spreading the virus are active year-round. Pregnant women who contract the virus will likely infect their unborn babies with the virus where it may (depending on when it is during the pregnancy) cause serious birth defects and/or cause miscarriages due to those birth defects. Since most of countries that are in the tropical regions of the planet already have significant health and economic issues. If you live in the tropics you should be very concerned. If you feel compassion for those living there you should be very concerned on their behalf.

The further away from the tropics you are, the less risk there is from the virus. Mosquitoes are active for less of the year and the type of mosquitoes that carry the virus are less prevalent as you move away from the tropics. As in the tropics, the risk is for pregnant women. If you travel to areas with a significant presence of the virus you are at risk to become infected but unless you are pregnant or interacting closely with someone who is pregnant it would not be of much concern.

When did zika virus started to spread?

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Asked by Wiki User

Zika is actively present in the United States, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, South and Central America, Pacific Islands, and Cape Horn in Africa.

There are attempts to contain the spread of the virus, but due to the fact it is transmitted by mosquitoes, containment is difficult.

What is the US government doing to stop the spread of the Zika virus?

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Asked by Ganderton

I think they are. This is a new disease that was brought up from South America quicker than it should have because of air travel, so people were not aware they even needed to be careful and were infected without knowing. Others knew the danger and allowed themselves to be exposed anyways.

Either way it takes time to develop a cure. Obviously stopping the infected mosquitos will help, but they only need to feed on another infected person to bring it all right back again. We need to give the scientists time to develop a vaccination, and maybe the anti-vaxers won't think this one is a conspiracy too.

How does the Zika virus spread?

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Asked by Wiki User

The first way the Zika virus can be spread is by actually encountering the mosquito. The mosquito then can inject the virus into your body. The mosquito picks it up while feeding on an infected person or animal.

The second way is through bodily function sharing. There are currently several incidents of people having sexual intercourse with an infected person and contracting the virus.

The third way is a pregnant woman transmitting it to her unborn baby. That's where things get really ugly; when a fetus is infected with the Zika virus, it can result in microcephaly, severe brain malformations, and other birth defects.

Why is there no cure for the zika virus?

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Asked by Wiki User

It is a virus, and most viruses just have to run their course. They are not like bacterias that can be treated with antibiotics.

What are some symptoms of the zika virus?

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Asked by Wiki User

  • Pain in the back of the eyes
  • Muscle pain
  • Joint pain
  • Very noticable eye redness
  • Headache
  • Skin rash
  • Fever
  • Fatigue
  • Chills
  • Sweating
  • Loss of appetite

Some people can also have Zika with no symptoms.

Can kids get the zika virus?

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Asked by Wiki User

Anyone CAN get the Zika virus if bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus.

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Also - pregnant women who contract the virus will probably pass it to the developing fetus (causing nasty birth defects) so technically that would also be a case of a "kid" getting Zika.

How does the zika virus affect the health of people who plays the Olympics?

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Asked by Wiki User

If they get infected with it. If they are healthy, it will make them a bit sick, but not too seriously. If a female athlete is pregnant when infected - or gets pregnant soon after getting infected - it may not make the athlete sick but the birth defects it can cause in the developing fetus certainly won't make her feel very good so it would certainly affect her mental health - and if a male athlete passes it along to a pregnant woman and causes her developing child to have birth defects he would probably feel pretty bad too...

What is the biggest problem with zika?

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Asked by Wiki User

The biggest problem with Zika is that Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause a serious birth defect called microcephaly. Microcephaly is a condition where a baby's head is much smaller than expected. Babies with microcephaly can have a range of other problems, depending on how severe their microcephaly is. Microcephaly has been linked to:

  • Seizures
  • Developmental delay, such as problems with speech or other developmental milestones (like sitting, standing, and walking)
  • Intellectual disability (decreased ability to learn and function in daily life)
  • Problems with movement and balance
  • Feeding problems, such as difficulty swallowing
  • Hearing loss
  • Vision problems
Note that people with Zika usually only have mild symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito. People usually don't get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika. For this reason, many people might not realize they have been infected and may transmit the virus to pregnant women without even knowing they have it.

Is zika a sexual disease?

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Asked by Wiki User

The Zika virus can be transmitted through unprotected sex - primarily from a man to his partner.

How long does Zika virus stay in the system?

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Asked by Myrab51

According to the CDC, Zika virus stays in the blood for 2 to 7 days after the symptoms pass. However, it stays in urine and semen for up to a few months after the infection.

If a person is trying to conceive after having Zika virus, both partners should consult with a physician to make sure it is safe. They can be tested to verify there are no signs of an active virus remaining.

What does the Zika virus do?

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Asked by Myrab51

Zika virus causes flu like symptoms, a rash, blood shot eyes, and can cause microcephaly in unborn babies. It is spread by mosquitos, but after a person is infected, they can also spread it through sexual contact. In some extreme cases, zika can be fatal.

What is zika virus?

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Asked by Wiki User

In January 2016, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued travel guidance on affected countries, including the use of enhanced precautions, and guidelines for pregnant women including considering postponing travel. Other governments or health agencies also issued similar travel warnings, while Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Jamaica advised women to postpone getting pregnant until more is known about the risks. A transmission is the vertebrate hosts of the virus were primarily monkeys in a so-called enzootic mosquito-monkey-mosquito cycle, with only occasional transmission to humans. Before the current pandemic began in 2007, Zika "rarely caused recognized 'spillover' infections in humans, even in highly enzootic areas". Infrequently, other arboviruses have become established as a human disease though, and spread in a mosquito-human-mosquito cycle, like the yellow fever virus and the dengue fever virus.

Can a Zika virus cause death?

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Asked by ElenaChugp7556

The virus is not know to cause death directly, but sometimes it does cause secondary problems that can lead to death. Zika virus infections have been linked to Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) with a few cases of Zika related GBS resulting in death. Birth defects caused by Zika can be life threatening though.