Ask Family Doctors: Zika Virus

Ask Family Doctors: Zika Virus

In today’s world, news travels fast. That can be both a good thing and a bad thing–because the faster news travels, the less likely it is to be accurate and complete, and what once seemed like a reliable news story turns into a game of “Telephone” where the original message is altered beyond recognition. We’ve all seen it before. One newspaper reports on something, one website cites a different expert stating different “facts,” one television station spends its time disputing the points of another–and suddenly no one is quite sure what the truth is anymore. Luckily, there is still hope. In the quickly-changing and relevant news stories that have to do with health issues, like the Zika Virus, you can search “Family Doctors Near Me” and find a host of reliable experts to straighten out the news.

Zika Virus

The Zika Virus is one example of a news story that seems to have an identity crisis. We can’t agree on the facts–so it’s time to turn to the experts. Doctors and opens in a new windowCDC experts are stating that the Zika Virus is a disease that comes with symptoms of fevers, rashes, joint pain, and more. The virus itself is reportedly short-lived, its symptoms mild, and it generally lasts about a week. However, the key factor in the Zika Virus news story is its effects on babies. Experts are stating that women who contract the Zika Virus before pregnancy, with at least a week for recovery, are not at risk of transmitting the disease to children. That said, unborn babies whose mothers contract the disease are at risk.

More Info on the Zika Virus

Now that you’ve searched “Family Doctors Near Me” and found opens in a new windowlocal experts to answer your big questions, you’ll want to take a look at these other common concerns.

• Symptoms. The symptoms of the Zika Virus are, according to the CDC, “fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis (red eyes).” However, not everyone actually experiences symptoms–only about one in five people even know they are sick.
• Transmission. How is the Zika Virus transmitted? The primary threat is Aedes mosquitoes, which live almost everywhere in the Western Hemisphere. Mothers bit by an infected mosquito have a chance of transferring the disease to an unborn baby, but experts don’t yet know how high this chance is.
• Risk. According to the CDC, anyone who lives or travels in a location with Aedes mosquitoes, or where the Zika Virus has already spread, is at risk of contracting and further spreading the disease. As a result, travel to certain places is not advised.

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