Symptoms
Most people infected with Zika virus
won’t even know they have the disease
because they won’t have symptoms. The
most common symptoms of Zika are
fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis
(red eyes). Other common symptoms
include muscle pain and headache.
The incubation period (the time from exposure
to symptoms) for Zika virus disease is not
known, but is likely to be a few days to a
week.
See your healthcare provider if you
are pregnant and develop a fever,
rash, joint pain, or red eyes within 2
weeks after traveling to a place where
Zika has been reported. Be sure to
tell your health care provider where
you traveled.
The illness is usually mild with 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.
Zika virus usually remains in the blood of
an infected person for about a week but
it can be found longer in some people.
Once a person has been infected, he or
she is likely to be protected from future
infections.
Diagnosis
The symptoms of Zika are similar to those
of dengue and chikungunya, diseases
spread through the same mosquitoes that
transmit Zika.
See your healthcare provider if you
develop the symptoms described above
and have visited an area where Zika is
found.
If you have recently traveled, tell your
healthcare provider when and where you
traveled.
Your healthcare provider may order blood
tests to look for Zika or other similar
viruses like dengue or chikungunya.
Treatment
There is no vaccine to prevent or medicine
to treat Zika virus.
Treat the symptoms:
Get plenty of rest.
Drink fluids to prevent dehydration.
Take medicine such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or
paracetamol to reduce fever and pain.
Do not take aspirin and other non-
steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDS) until dengue can be ruled
out to reduce the risk of bleeding.
If you are taking medicine for another
medical condition, talk to your
healthcare provider before taking
additional medication.
If you have Zika, prevent mosquito bites
for the first week of your illness.
During the first week of infection,
Zika virus can be found in the blood
and passed from an infected person
to a mosquito through mosquito
bites.
An infected mosquito can then spread
the virus to other people.
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