Information on the Zika Virus

Written by Kate on . Posted in Uncategorised

Updated August 17, 2016

Attention physicians:

The AMA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently held a webinar to provide an update for physicians and other clinicians on the status of the Zika virus outbreak and the latest clinical guidance to help them diagnose and manage patients and prevent further transmission.

“As the Zika virus outbreak continues to evolve and more Americans become impacted by the virus,” said AMA President Andrew W. Gurman, MD,” we must ensure that our nation’s physicians, and all clinicians, are prepared to handle possible cases of the virus and are equipped with the most up-to-date information to answer patients’ questions.”

The webinar, “Preparing for Zika transmission in the United States,” is available online at the AMA’s Zika Virus Resource Center. Experts provided details of the latest epidemiological and clinical aspects of the current Zika outbreak, implications for pregnant women and the CDC’s most up-to-date clinical guidance to support health care professionals in combatting and preventing complications.


All pregnant women in the U.S. should be assessed for possible Zika exposure during every prenatal visit, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.

The advice from the CDC came as federal health officials also urged women who are pregnant or are considering becoming pregnant to avoid a Miami neighborhood that is the site of a Zika outbreak.   CDC is closely coordinating with Florida officials who are leading the ongoing investigations, and at the state’s request, sent a CDC medical epidemiologist to provide additional assistance.

The Florida Department of Health has identified an area in one neighborhood of Miami where Zika is being spread by mosquitoes. This guidance is for people who live in or traveled to this area any time after June 15 (based on the earliest time symptoms can start and the maximum 2-week incubation period for Zika virus).

State officials have responded rapidly with mosquito control measures and a community-wide search for additional Zika cases.

Information on the Zika virus is being updated continually. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as other health organizations are studying the virus. While we know much more about it than was first reported, there is still no vaccine or cure for Zika.



Symptoms and Outcomes

Zika virus symptoms are relatively mild. Many people infected with Zika virus won’t have symptoms at all. The most common symptoms of Zika are:

  • Fever
  • Rash
  • Joint pain
  • Conjunctivitis (red eyes)
Other symptoms include:

  • Muscle pain
  • Headache
How long symptoms last

Zika is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week. People usually don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika. For this reason, many people might not realize they have been infected. Symptoms of Zika are similar to other viruses spread through mosquito bites, like dengue and chikungunya.



Zika may result in severe birth defects such as microcephaly or poor pregnancy outcomes. There have also been reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome as an outcome of Zika. New studies suggest that the Zika virus hones in on brain cells and kills them. No one yet knows the long term effects of Zika.




Continue Reading