The Zika virus is a flavivirus, part of the same family as yellow fever, West Nile and dengue. But there is no vaccine to prevent it !
Is this a new virus :
No. Outbreaks of Zika previously have been reported in tropical Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infection in Brazil.
Sexual Transmission :
- There is evidence that the Zika virus can be sexually transmitted by a man to his sex partners.
- The virus is present in semen longer than in blood.
Symptoms :
- fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis (red eyes). Other common symptoms include muscle pain and headache.
- The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week.
- It may lead to fetus microcephaly
Diagnosis :
- The symptoms of Zika are similar to those of dengue and chikungunya, diseases spread through the same mosquitoes that transmit Zika.
- so , it's hard to diagnose
so , pregnant women should not travel to places with Zika outbreaks
