14 Main Symptoms of Zika Virus

For most people affected by the Zika virus, there are mild symptoms and even sometimes no symptoms at all. If for some reason symptoms do occur, they’re usually only on the mild side, lasting a short period of time anywhere from around 2 to 7 days.

There are some symptoms with are fairly typical of the Zika virus, should symptoms develop, that people should watch out for. The ferociousness of the symptoms depends from case to case and from person to person. The biggest threat of infection is towards pregnant women, as the virus can cause birth defects in unborn children, such as abnormally small heads.

A summary of some of the main symptoms of Zika virus is listed and expanded upon below. They are ranked in no particular order as some people may experience just one or two of the examples, whilst others may be lumbered with the full package Until a person is infected, there’s little way of knowing how it will affect their body.

1.   Rash

A rash is one of the most commonly reported symptoms associated with Zika. In most cases, the rash forms at the site of the mosquito bite and spreads out from this site, with the darkest part being the epicenter of the rash. This type of rash can be quite sore and tender, but will usually clear up in a couple of ways.

Marking the rash with a pen to track its progress is a good idea and soothing any pain with a wet cloth can provide relief. With Zika and other mosquito-borne illnesses, prevention is always better than the cure, but if a person is affected with a rash, they will usually only find that this is localized to the bite location and so fairly easy to manage. In some instances, rashes can appear on other parts of the body, though these are likely to be allergic reactions rather than a sign that the rash is spreading. Close monitoring and a careful eye are needed to ensure the rash gets steadily better as opposed to worse.