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Zika Virus 101: What You Need to Know to Protect Your Pregnancy
Since the start of 2016, the Zika virus has captured headline after headline around the world. What was first an outbreak limited to certain South American countries has spread across the Americas, with cases appearing in Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, Turks and Caicos, Venezuela, and more. The Zika virus has also reached the United States, with active transmission cases recorded in Florida. For months, health officials provided serious warnings to pregnant women and women trying to conceive, but messages about how the virus is spread and how to properly protect against it are often lost in alarming headlines.
How can someone get the Zika virus?
At first, it was believed that the virus was only transmitted to people via a certain type of mosquito. Even though this is still the primary method of virus transmission, we know now that Zika can be sexually transmitted from men and women who are infected. In these cases, someone who travels to a country where there is a Zika outbreak contracts the disease via a mosquito bite or through sexual contact, and they travel back to their home country with the virus.
We are learning more information about the Zika virus all the time. News about transmission, side effects, and other aspects of the disease can change, so it’s important to stay up to date with the CDC.
What are the side effects of the Zika virus?
For most, the Zika virus is a relatively mild illness that can be treated from the comfort of your own home. Symptoms include fever, joint pain, rash, and pink eye (conjunctivitis). These symptoms can last for a few days or maybe a week. Patients who suspect that they have Zika should still contact their primary care provider for testing.
The reason why the Zika virus is so serious for pregnant women or those trying to become pregnant is due to microcephaly – a birth defect that causes a baby’s head to be smaller than expected, impacting brain development and resulting in developmental issues. Microcephaly has been linked to the Zika virus. The Zika virus can also cause infant hearing loss, eye defects, and impaired growth.
How I can protect my pregnancy from the Zika virus?
First, please feel free to contact your PWOG provider with any concerns or questions you may have regarding the Zika virus during your pregnancy. Second, there are steps women can take to help prevent contracting the Zika virus:
- Avoid areas where there is a Zika virus outbreak.
- Avoid sexual contact with anyone who has traveled to a Zika-affected area. Use condoms or birth control methods that protect against STDs if your partner has traveled to an area where there is an outbreak.
- Avoid mosquitos if possible.
- Where protective clothing over arms and legs.
- Wear a hat.
- Keep away from free-standing water as mosquitos tend to populate nearby.
- Use insect repellant that is safe for pregnant women.
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