Zika virus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zika virus |
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| Electron micrograph of Zika virus. Virus particles are 40 nm in diameter, with an outer envelope and a dense inner core (source: CDC). | |
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Group IV ((+)ssRNA)
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Flavivirus
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Zika virus
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The Zika virus (often called ZIKV) is a tiny germ that belongs to a group of viruses called Flaviviridae. It's part of the Flavivirus family. This virus is mainly spread by mosquitoes from the Aedes group. These mosquitoes are most active during the day.
The Zika virus got its name from the Zika Forest in Uganda. This is where the virus was first found in 1947.
When someone gets the Zika virus, they can develop an illness called Zika fever. Often, people with Zika fever have no symptoms at all, or only very mild ones. Scientists know that people in Africa and Asia have had Zika fever since the 1950s. In 2014, the virus started to spread across the Pacific Ocean. It first reached French Polynesia, then Easter Island. By 2015, it had spread to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. In these areas, the Zika virus became a widespread outbreak, known as a pandemic.
Understanding Zika Virus
The Zika virus is related to other viruses like the West Nile virus. It is also similar to the viruses that cause dengue fever, yellow fever, and Japanese encephalitis. The illness caused by Zika virus is usually like a mild form of dengue fever. The best way to treat it is by resting. As of 2016, there was no special medication or vaccine to prevent Zika virus.
When pregnant women get the Zika virus, they can pass the virus to their unborn babies. When these newborns are born, they might have a condition called microcephaly. This means their head is smaller than usual. In places where the Zika virus is common, there can be more birth defects. There can also be more nerve-related problems like Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Zika Outbreak in 2016
In January 2016, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gave advice on how to avoid getting Zika fever. They suggested that people traveling to areas where Zika virus was present should be extra careful.
- Travelers should use "enhanced precautions." This means they should do everything possible to avoid mosquito bites.
- Pregnant women were advised to think about not traveling to these areas at all.
Other governments and health groups soon gave similar travel warnings. Countries like Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Jamaica even told women not to get pregnant. They wanted to wait until scientists learned more about the risks of Zika virus for pregnant women.
On February 2, 2016, health officials in Dallas County, Texas, reported the first case of someone getting Zika virus in the United States. This person got the virus from another person, not from a mosquito bite in the U.S.
Images for kids
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Global Aedes aegypti predicted distribution. The map shows where these mosquitoes are likely to be found.
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Rash on an arm due to Zika.
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Countries that have had Zika transmission in the past or present (as of January 2016).
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How Zika spread in Africa and Asia, based on scientific data.
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Image of a baby with microcephaly (left) compared to a normal baby (right). This is one of the possible effects of the Zika virus. Signs of microcephaly might show up a few months after birth.
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See also
In Spanish: Virus del Zika para niños
