How bad is it?

"Even if you've been infected, Zika is generally relatively mild." Dr. Sharon Reisfeld

"The Zika virus has been known to the scientific community since 1947," said Dr. Sharon Reisfeld, Senior Physician in the Infectious Diseases Department at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center. "It is related to yellow fever, West Nile fever and dengue fever, all infections transmitted by mosquito bites, particularly by the Asian tiger mosquito. Despite grabbing headlines over the past year, particularly regarding pregnant women in Brazil who gave birth to children with birth defects, an outbreak of the Zika virus was recorded in 2007 in Micronesia. The mosquito evidently carried the virus from there to the Americas and the humid conditions offered in Brazil and other South American countries that are suffering from the current outbreak."

 

Zika, which is spread by the mosquito, is common not only in South and Central America, but also in Africa and the Middle East, where they are seeing low morbidity and not an outbreak. Individual cases have been described in Europe and the US, however most of the patients were infected outside those countries, in places where Zika is widespread and infection known.

 

How do you become infected with Zika and what are the risks of being bitten and getting the disease?

 

"The main method of becoming infected with Zika is, as previously mentioned, being bitten by mosquitoes in an area where there is a high concentration of the virus. In Brazil, the common mosquito is the Asian tiger mosquito, as well as in many other places around the world, it has also become the main mosquito to spread the virus, and therefore there are more cases of infection.

 

"The virus itself manifests in different forms in different regions of the world. The current outbreak in Brazil is unique in that it is the first time in which complications have been recorded in pregnant women as well as individual, yet unequivocal, reports of sexual transmission of the virus. This has also been the first time we have seen a mother transmit the virus to the baby during childbirth."

 

The course of the disease - mild? Moderate? Serious?

 

"Zika virus may have several possible clinical manifestations: the most common - asymptomatic infection. In other words, the patient is infected by the mosquito, but does not notice it. The body fights the infection, although there are no symptoms at all.

 

"In some cases, the infection manifests itself the same way as other viral infections - with fever, headaches, pain in the joints and bones, a rash and eye infection.

 

"In the minority of cases, we see neurological complications such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune disease that attacks the peripheral nervous system.

 

"The most significant risk posed by the Zika virus is the harm it may cause in pregnant women. In the recent outbreak in South America, a significant increase has been described in the number of cases of microcephaly - a condition in which the brain does not develop properly, resulting in a small head. If up to 2015, 200-250 microcephaly cases a year were reported in Brazil, in 2015 there were 4,000 cases, according to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and there is a clear link to the Zika virus according to several studies that have investigated the issue.

 

"Note that aside from the neurological complications and the potential complications during pregnancy, there are no other known complications, and there have been no known Zika-related deaths.

 

 

Prevention and treatment: minimizing harm

 

The good news is that people infected with Zika or who have been bitten by the Zika mosquito will not suffer from a chronic disease as a result. The news that's not as great is that there is no specific treatment for the disease. The treatment is generally symptomatic (fever reduction, fluids, rest). The bad news is that there is currently no way to prevent the disease, no vaccine or preventative drug therapy, even after being diagnosed. If pregnant women are infected, the risk of have a child with birth defects is high and unpreventable.

 

Therefore, the main form of prevention is to apply mosquito repellent, use nets, stay and sleep in air-conditioned rooms, wear light-colored, long-sleeved clothing. In other words - do everything possible to prevent mosquito bites. Additionally, and no less important, is to prevent pooling of stagnant water, where the mosquitoes like to breed.

 

 

What should you do if you are traveling to an area where the mosquito and virus are widespread?

 

"The Ministry of Health has issued clear guidelines for travelers on how to behave and how to take precautions. It is also prepared to diagnose the infection if it is discovered in Israel. There is a travel warning for pregnant women and a clear recommendation not to travel to places where the virus and mosquito are widespread. Women and men of childbearing age who were in an area known to be affected by active Zika virus transmission are advised to protect themselves during sex and avoid becoming pregnant for at least two months after returning to Israel, provided that they did not experience any sickness with fever during their stay abroad. If they did experience fever that could have possibly been caused by the virus, it is advisable to refrain from pregnancy for six months following their return.

 

 

A message of calm along with the warning

 

To date, no instances of infection with the virus have been described in Israel, except for several cases of patients who were infected in South America. They did not suffer from any complications. Since the mosquito that transmits the virus exists in Israel (the Asian tiger mosquito), it is theoretically possible that there will be high morbidity by those infected abroad, because infection through the common mosquito exists, and we are currently in the summer months, when the mosquitoes are particularly active.

 

Despite this, remember that if you have been infected by the Zika virus, it is generally mild. Recovery is usually quick. The virus does not remain in the body chronically, and if you planned to get pregnant, all you need is to be patient and wait between two to six months.