Zika virus infection, also called Zika virus disease, is caused by a virus which is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Symptoms include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
• Skin rash
• Muscle and joint pain

The symptoms are generally mild and last between 2 to 7 days. Most people infected with Zika virus have no symptoms at all. There is no specific treatment or vaccine at this time.

Yes. Some countries have reported a significant increase in the number of newborns with microcephaly (abnormally small head), and an increase in the number of cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a neurological disorder. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, experts agree that Zika virus infection causes microcephaly and GBS.

Zika virus is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, which are found in South America, Central America, Mexico, Central, East, and West Africa, South and Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and the Ocean Pacific Islands. The virus was originally found only in Africa and Asia and was first reported in the Western Hemisphere in 2015.

There have been no reported cases of locally acquired Zika virus in Canada. The type of mosquito that is known to spread the virus to humans is not found in Canada. The only cases of Zika virus reported in Canada have been travel related. For more detailed information about which countries are affected, please visit Government of Canada - Zika virus: Latest travel health advice.

The following people could be at risk of getting Zika virus:

• People who travel to regions where Zika is circulating. More than 65 countries in the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, South America, South and Southeast Asia, Ocean Pacific Islands and Central, East and West Africa have reported Zika cases.
• Sexual partners of people who have recently visited areas where Zika virus is present.
• A developing baby exposed to the Zika virus when the mother is bitten by an infected mosquito, or when the mother is exposed to the virus through sexual contact with an infected partner.

Yes. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, experts agree that Zika virus causes microcephaly. Microcephaly is a condition where a baby is born with a small head or the head stops growing after birth. Pregnant women, or those who plan on becoming pregnant, should avoid travel to countries or areas with ongoing Zika virus outbreaks. For more information about travelling while pregnant, speak with your health care provider or see HealthLinkBC File #41g The Pregnant Traveller.

Anyone travelling to areas affected by Zika virus is advised to consult a health care provider or visit a travel health clinic, preferably six weeks before planned travel. If you are pregnant, you should consider postponing your travel plans and discuss your risk with your health care provider.

If you do travel to an area affected by the Zika virus:

• Protect yourself from mosquito bites at all times. You should take precautions throughout the day and night, when you are both indoors and outdoors. For advice on how to protect you and your family from mosquito bites, please visit HealthLinkBC File #96 Insect Repellents and DEET.
• Women planning to get pregnant should consider waiting at least two months after returning from a Zika-infected area or after onset of illness due to Zika (whichever is longer) before trying to conceive. This recommendation is based on the incubation period of the virus, the duration of the illness, and the time required to clear the virus. Speak with your health care provider for more information.
• Men should use condoms with any partner that could become pregnant for three months after returning from a Zika-infected area. If your partner is pregnant, it is recommended you consider using condoms or avoid having sex for the duration of the pregnancy until more is known.
• Avoid donating blood for three weeks after returning from travel to a Zika-infected area. Although the risk is low, Canadian Blood Services has implemented a 21-day waiting period to prevent possible transmission.

Testing for Zika virus is currently being carried out at the B. C. Centre for Disease Control Public Health Laboratory and the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Testing can be arranged through your doctor. Babies can be assessed to ensure that they are developing normally through fetal ultrasound scans, which can also be arranged through your doctor.