Zika Virus Virology and Symptomology

Virology

Zika has been found to be transmitted through mosquito bites, from mother to child, and through sexual interaction. The virus can only be concretely diagnosed with lab tests of bodily fluids. The time between initial infection and the first signs of symptoms is between three to seven days. Pregnant mothers infected with Zika are believed to be connected to an increasing number of cases in which newborns are born with microcephaly, but research is ongoing to gain a better understanding of how Zika affects fetuses. Microcephaly is a condition in which the size of a newborn baby’s head is smaller than the average size. The life expectancy and development of babies born with microcephaly is unclear.

Microcephaly

Symptomology

Symptoms of the virus include rash, fever, conjunctivitis, joint or muscle pain, general body discomfort, and headaches, but many people infected with Zika do not show symptoms. These symptoms can last from a few days to a week. Symptomology Research continues into the possible link between the Zika virus and Guillain-Barre syndrome, a neurological syndrome in which a person’s peripheral nervous system is attacked by her/his immune system. The major risks that Zika poses are its possible connections to Guillain-Barre syndrome and microcephaly.