Zika virus infection

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This page is about clinical aspects of the disease.  For microbiologic aspects of the causative organism(s), see Zika virus.

For patient information, click here.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Nate Michalak, B.A.; Luke Rusowicz-Orazem, B.S.; Ilan Dock, B.S.

Synonyms and keywords: Zika virus; ZIKV; ZIKV disease; Zika; Zika virus disease; Zika disease; Zika fever

Symptoms

Symptoms associated with the contraction of the Zika virus typically span from several days to a week. The disease is rarely fatal and hospitalization is uncommon. The following symptoms are the associated with contracting the Zika Virus:

• Acute onset fever
• Maculopapular rash
• Arthralgia
• Conjunctivitis
• Myalgia
• Headache
• Retro-orbital pain
• Vomiting

Diagnosis

• The Zika virus is commonly misdiagnosed as many other diseases. These diseases include dengue, leptospirosis, malaria, rickettsia, group Astreptococcus, rubella, measles, parvovirus, enterovirus, adenovirus, and alphavirus infection.
• Diagnosis is initially based on patients recent history, including places traveled.
• Blood serum and plasma testing is conducted to detect viral nucleic acids or virus specific IgM. Laboratory testing is the primary source when differentiating between Zika and other commonly misdiagnosed viruses.

Medical Therapy

• There is currently no specific antiviral treatment for the Zika virus.
• Modern therapy tactics include increased rest, fluids, antipyretics (fever reducers) and analgesics (pain relievers).
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) should be avoided until dengue fever is no longer a potential diagnosis.

Primary Prevention

Avoid mosquito bites:

• Use insect repellent.
• Wear long sleeves and long pants.
• If outdoors or cannot protect against mosquitos entering the home, use bed nets, air conditioning, or insect screens
• Avoid standing water: gardening pots, swampy areas, etc.