Skip to main content

All Access Subscription

Get unlimited access to our full publication and article library.

Get Access Now

Interested in Group Sales? Learn more

<p> Zika transmission identified in several countries.</p>

As Zika Virus Spreads, U.S. Begins Preparations

By Shelly Mark, Executive Editor, AHC Media

As of Jan. 29, 2016, active Zika virus transmission has been identified in 24 countries (22 in the Western Hemisphere), and the CDC says that further spread is likely. Cases have been reported in returning travelers and local transmission has occurred in Puerto Rico. The CDC has issued interim guidelines related to the Zika virus outbreak for healthcare providers caring for pregnant women.

The first case of Zika virus acquired in the United States was reported Feb. 2 in Dallas, as a person who apparently acquired the virus in Venezuela transmitted it to a sex partner upon return to the United States. Sexual transmission of Zika virus has been previously reported, but the primary mode of transmission remains mosquitoes. The CDC recommends safe sex practices for those with Zika concerns.

Zika virus is transmitted by the bite of the Aedes mosquito, which is present in areas of the United States, and it is likely that limited locally acquired infections will eventually occur in the United States, but widespread transmission is unlikely. According to the CDC, Zika should be considered in patients with acute onset of fever, rash, and arthralgia or conjunctivitis who have traveled to areas with ongoing Zika transmission during the two weeks prior to symptom onset. Zika infection is self-limited (no specific therapy is available) and generally relatively mild. There is, however, concern about its apparent association with neurological sequelae such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, and especially with microcephaly in infants born to mothers who had experienced the infection during pregnancy. The latter is based predominantly on the identification of a remarkably large increase in reported cases of microcephaly coincident with the current massive outbreak of Zika infection in Brazil.

Healthcare providers should report suspected cases of Zika infection to their state health department. Treatment includes supportive care. The CDC says that pregnant women should consider postponing travel to areas with ongoing Zika transmission and should take precautions to prevent mosquito bites. More information on diagnosis and treatment, as well as the latest information on affected countries, is available from the CDC.

Infectious Disease Alert first covered Zika virus in 2007 and again in 2013. Be sure to read the March issue of Infectious Disease Alert for more detailed coverage on Zika and expert commentary from our infectious disease experts, as well as ongoing blog coverage by Senior Staff Writer Gary Evans.