Zika virus disease is a mosquito-borne viral infection. It primarily occurs in the tropical and subtropical parts of the world. A zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause microcephaly and is also linked with miscarriage. Microcephaly is a potentially fatal congenital brain condition. Guillain-Barre syndrome is also one of the other conditions that can be caused by the zika virus.
There are a lot of patients affected by zika virus that do not show any common symptoms or signs that describe the disease. Mild fever, rash, and muscle pain are some of the most common zika symptoms reported by the patients.
Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of this condition are highly uncommon and as many as four out of five people do not necessarily show any signs and symptoms of the condition. And, in any case, if there are symptoms that are present in the patient, they usually occur in a period of two to seven days after the patient is bitten by the infected mosquito.
Most common zika symptoms include:
- Mild fever
- Rash
- Joint or muscle pain
Other signs and symptoms include:
- Headache
- Red eyes (conjunctivitis)
- Feeling of discomfort in the body
Most people recover from these symptoms in about a week’s time.
Even if this might not be a common zika symptom, it is known that the virus spreads easily and you must visit a doctor if any of your family members is infected by the virus. You should get yourself checked if you have visited an area with an ongoing outbreak of the zika virus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a health institute, has many blood tests to look for the Zika virus or some similar viruses like the dengue or chikungunya viruses. These viruses are similar to the zika virus as they are spread by the same type of mosquitoes.
Diagnosis
If you feel like you are facing the symptoms of the zika virus, then you must visit a doctor and get yourself checked. Your doctor is most likely to ask you about your medical history and your travels as these elements play an important part in the diagnosis. When telling them about your travels, you must be specific about the location as you might have visited an area with the outbreak of the zika virus.
You must talk to your doctor about which tests need to be undertaken to effectively diagnose zika virus. Along with that, you must get yourself tested for similar diseases spread by the same type of mosquitoes.
Following the tests your doctor or care provider would ideally ask you to:
- Perform an ultrasound to detect microcephaly or other conditions of the brain
- Provide them with a sample of amniotic fluid with the help of a hollow needle to detect the zika virus
There is no specific treatment for the zika virus symptoms, the ideal way to get rid of the virus is to get enough rest and not stress yourself. You must visit a doctor, in any case.
