Everything you need to know about the Zika virus

The Zika virus has spread to many countries in Latin America and the World Health Organisation has declared it as a public health emergency of international concern. Zika is a vector-borne disease spread by the bite of an infected Aedes Aegypti mosquito, a day biting mosquito and the same mosquito that spreads dengue. Find out if India is at the risk of Zika. Symptoms of Zika include fever, conjunctivitis, headache, rash and fatigue. The symptoms are usually visible after two to seven days after the mosquito bite and can last for up to seven days. The Zika virus does not spread easily and it was only now that live virus was found in body fluids such as semen, saliva and urine which suggests a possibility of transmission if you come in close contact with the infected person. The virus is also transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy and it can have a deleterious effect on the foetus. If the mother gets infected within the first three months of the pregnancy, there are high chances that the baby is born with microcephaly, the link of which was recently established. Microcephaly is a condition in which the babies are born with a small brain which does not grow as the child grows. The WHO recently cleared up a few rumours about the spread of Zika. Treatment of Zika is symptomatic wherein the doctors focus on treating its symptoms. Currently, there is no vaccine against the disease and the one that is still in the making will only hit the markets in another year. So the only way to protect yourself from the disease is to prevent the disease. Prevention includes avoiding mosquito bites by preventing mosquito breeding. Mosquitoes lay eggs in accumulated, stagnant water. So make sure you don't store water in containers for a long time and empty the water in old flower pots, dustbins and tyres, etc. Also, avoid travelling to Zika hit countries and avoid sexual contact with infected persons.Here are eight tips to prevent Zika. For more on Zika, watch the video-- Image source: Shutterstock