The Ark-La-Tex

Zika Virus

Zika is a virus transmitted to humans from mosquitoes. It can be transferred from human to human, but the origin of any outbreak would be from a mosquito of the “Aedes” family.

Typically these outbreaks occur within a narrow equatorial belt between Asia and Africa.

As of 2020, the countries known to be dealing with this include:

• Caribbean
• Most Latin America
• Central Africa
• India
• Indonesia
• Malaysia
• Cambodia
• Papua New Guinea

Despite their tropical heritage, in July of 2016 the first homegrown case popped up in the Miami area. Shortly thereafter, Texas began having local transmission as well.

Without a cure and with its ability to spread, Zika Virus will be a ongoing threat.

Those who contract the virus often don’t realize they have it. The symptoms tend to be mild and sometimes are non-existent. Known ailments to accompany Zika Virus are:

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

Zika Virus poses the biggest threat to pregnant women. It has been known to cause miscarriages and stillbirths. If the baby survives, multiple birth defects have been linked back to Zika Virus as well:

• Microcephaly
• Congenital Zika Syndrome
• Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS)