Zika virus and pregnancy

There are concerns that pregnant women who become infected with Zika virus can transmit the disease to their unborn babies, with potentially serious consequences. Reports from several countries, most notably Brazil, demonstrate an increase in severe foetal birth defects and poor pregnancy outcomes in babies whose mothers were infected with Zika virus while pregnant.
Additional international research is necessary and ongoing to determine the link between Zika virus and foetal damage.
Until more is known, the Ministry of Health recommends that women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant in the near term consider delaying travel to areas with Zika virus present. If travelling in Zika infected areas, women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant should consult with their healthcare provider. All travellers should take all precautions to avoid mosquito bites, including:

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants
• Use insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), or IR3535. Always use as directed.
• Insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, and IR3535 are safe for pregnant and nursing women and children older than 2 months when used
• According to the product label. Oil of lemon eucalyptus products should not be used on children under 3 years of age.
• If you use both sunscreen and insect repellent, apply the sunscreen first and then the repellent.
• Use permethrin-treated clothing and gear (such as boots, pants, socks, and tents).
• Use bed nets as necessary
• Stay and sleep in screened-in or air-conditioned rooms.
• Be particularly vigilant for the 2 hours after sunrise and the two hours before sunset

If you are pregnant and develop a rash, red eyes, fever, or joint pain within 14 days of travel to a Zika virus infected country, please consult your health care provider and let them know your travel history.
This information will be updated as more research becomes available.

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Symptoms of Zika virus infection

• low-grade fever
• arthralgia, notably of small joints of hands and feet, with possible swollen joints
• myalgia
• headache, retro-ocular headaches
• conjunctivitiscutaneous maculopapular rash

Zika virus infection usually causes a mild disease (with the possible exception in pregnant women, as discussed below).  However, as Zika infection may cause a rash that could be confused with diseases such as measles or dengue, these serious diseases do need to be ruled out. Diagnosis of Zika will first and foremost be based on symptoms, travel history and exclusion of other diseases including measles, rubella and dengue.
The incubation period is typically 3–12 days. There is no specific therapy for Zika virus infection and acute symptoms typically resolve within 4-7 days. Use paracetamol for pain and fever if needed. Until dengue can be ruled out DO NOT take aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, given the risk of bleeding.
In French Polynesia, after a local Zika virus outbreak in 2013 and 2014, an increase in autoimmune and neurological diseases has been observed (73 cases, 42 of them being Guillain-Barré Syndrome, in a population of about 270,000). There is no proven link at this stage other than this temporal sequence. The simultaneous circulation of dengue serotype 1 and 3 viruses may also play a role.