Zika is a viral illness that is spread by mosquito bites. Up to 80% of infected people do not exhibit symptoms. Those who do generally present with mild symptoms such as fever, joint pain, rashes, and red eyes.
The risk may be to the unborn child. The infection has been linked to microcephaly (a condition in which a baby’s head is smaller than expected when compared to babies of the same sex and age), and poor pregnancy outcomes.
The illness is contracted in areas where there are mosquitoes as this is the major mode of transmission. Sexual transmission has also been documented.
Endemic areas are popular winter vacation spots: the Caribbean, Central America, and parts of South America. Please see the WHO website for up to date information about areas that are at risk http://www.who.int/csr/don/archive/disease/zika-virus-infection/en/
Our current advice:
1) Do not travel to endemic areas if you are pregnant or when planning to become pregnant. Your partner should not travel to endemic areas when you are pregnant or when you are planning to become pregnant. If you have travelled while pregnant to one of these areas, please advise your doctor.
2) Men who have travelled to an endemic area, symptomatic or not, who have pregnant partners should use condoms for the remainder of the pregnancy.
3) If you must travel to these areas, use reliable contraception as per the recommendation below even if you have a history of sub-fertility. Use appropriate defensive action against mosquito bites.
4) Women should not try to conceive for 3 months after returning from an endemic area.
5) Men should not try to conceive for 6 months after the return of your partner from an endemic area. The virus persists longer in seminal fluid than in the blood stream. We do not know how long it may persist. Use condoms for a minimum of six months after returning from an endemic area.
Other Resources
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/tmp-pmv/notices-avis/notices-avis-eng.php?id=143
http://www.cdc.gov/zika/hc-providers/index.html
http://www.cdc.gov/zika/transmission/sexual-transmission.html
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