Many questions have been raised about the rapidly-increasing number of Zika virus cases appearing in South American countries. As the risk of getting the virus increases, it is important to know what Zika is, where it came from, and the symptoms associated with it.

The Zika virus was first discovered in 1947 in the Zika forest of Uganda. Later, in 1952, the first human cases appeared. Since then, Zika outbreaks have occurred in tropical Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. The virus can now be found in the Americas, and some cases have been reported in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and in American Samoa. No cases have been reported within the United States so far.

Not all mosquito bites are as innocent as a small, itchy bump that goes away after a few days; the Zika virus can be transmitted to humans by the Aedes mosquito. The Aedes mosquito thrives in tropical locations, and has spread to every continent except Antarctica. These mosquitos are responsible for transmitting several diseases, the most well known being the dengue and chikungunya viruses. Being bit is not the only way to become infected with Zika; a pregnant woman infected with Zika is at risk of passing on the virus to the newborn.

Vanessa Oliveira, a Brazilian woman, got Zika four months into her pregnancy. She commented to Independent News, “Nobody had a clue at the time that the red rash on my skin and itching would have such devastating consequences.” Her child was born with microcephaly, a defect where the baby is born with an abnormally small head, which can cause developmental delays, intellectual deficits, or hearing loss. Doctors have since discovered many cases of children being born with microcephaly. They have noticed a correlation between infected mothers and the child being born with the defect, but they are not certain if it is a causation. However, doctors are advising pregnant women to not visit infected locations as a precaution. Areas with Zika could also experience a blow to their economy. Bradey Bulk, Head of Foreign Language Department and French teacher, commented, “I think they will lose money due to decreasing tourism.” This economical effect could have just as big of an impact on the locations affected with Zika as the virus itself.

Zika symptoms can be hard to spot because they are very similar to to the symptoms of many other diseases. Most infected people experience a mild fever, skin rashes, joint pain, and/or headaches. Some experience a symptom known as conjunctivitis, with which the infected person suffers from red eyes. These symptoms are not unlike those for a common cold, making it difficult to be certain whether or not one has the Zika virus. The symptoms normally last for about 2-7 days, however, the virus can remain longer in the blood of certain people. This incubation period of the virus is unknown, but doctors estimate that it is about a few days to a week. Only about 1 in 5 people infected with Zika become ill, and a person will not die from being infected with Zika by a mosquito. Similar to chicken pox, once a person is infected, they are unlikely to fall ill again. When asked whether she is concerned about the threat of Zika, Anna Erskine ’18 replied, “No, I think that [the Zika virus] is not that big of a concern. It’s just a typical virus. I think that they will find a vaccine soon.” The virus has been around for a long time, however there are still no vaccines to prevent one from getting sick. The best prevention is to protect oneself from mosquito bites and avoid visiting infected areas. To avoid mosquito bites, one can wear long sleeves and long pants while in infected areas, as well as sleep under a mosquito bed net at night and use bug spray. These are the best ways to stay safe and avoid getting infected.

While the Zika virus hasn’t reached the same level of panic as Ebola has this past year, it’s still important to understand the risk and be careful. Doctors are working to find out more about the virus and ways to combat it.