Zika Virus – Here’s what you should know about it:
- It causes microcephaly (where the baby’s head is drastically smaller than other babies the same age) and severe brain abnormalities in babies
- There is no vaccine or cure for Zika
- Symptoms often include mild fevers, rashes, conjuctivitis and joint pains
- 80% of those infected exhibit no symptoms
- You can get Zika from being bitten by the Aedes mosquito, same type that carries the dengue, Chikunguynya and yellow fever viruses
- It may also spread through unprotected sex
- Zika has spread to over 21 countries and counting
And here’s what you can do to protect yourself from contracting the virus:
- Detect and destroy mosquito breeding sites
- Prevent mosquito bites by using insect repellent and mosquito nets
- If you are pregnant, avoid traveling to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean
