Mosquitos in January? What is Zika?

We have received a lot of questions about the Zika virus, so we thought we would provide a quick overview and some resources to help you become aware of this potential health risk.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a travel advisory last week for 14 countries that relates to any women who are pregnant (in any trimester).  The countries so far include:  Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Surname, Venezuela and Puerto Rico.  The travel advisory is for the Zika virus, which is normally transmitted by infected Aedes mosquitos, and can be especially harmful for pregnant women and their fetuses.

Women who are considering becoming pregnant should consider postponing their travel to these countries or follow strict mosquito precautions (long sleeve shirts, long pants, mosquito repellant – see guidelines below for safe alternatives).

This virus has been shown to cause microcephaly (small head and brain) in infants.  Most of the documented cases have been in Brazil, however the first case in the US was in Hawaii (but was someone who had travelled to Brazil in the pregnancy).

Adults who are exposed to the virus have mild symptoms (fever, joint ache, headache, “pinkeye”) that can be treated with acetaminophen, however a lot about the virus is yet not understood, including how it affects the fetus differently if you have pre-pregnancy exposure versus during any stage of pregnancy.

If you have travelled to any of these countries recently and have experienced any of these symptoms, please feel free to discuss any concerns or questions with your Madison Women’s Health provider.

For more information, go to the following links:

Mother to Baby Resource on Zika

CDC Resource on Zika and Pregnancy