The Zika virus can be frightening since you will often have no idea that you’ve been infected until complications appear. These may include miscarriage and birth defects. In rare instances, a Zika infection can lead to Guillain-Barré syndrome, a nerve disorder that can lead to the loss of motor control.

Unfortunately, there are no medications or vaccines to treat or prevent an infection. Treatment, therefore, is based solely on the management of symptoms and complications.

Uncomplicated Infections

In as many as 80% of Zika infections, there will be no symptoms whatsoever. If symptoms do appear they tend to be mild and flu-like, including headaches, muscle and joint pain, mild fever, and conjunctivitis, among others.

On the other hand, you should avoid nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, Aleve (naproxen), or Advil (ibuprofen) until dengue fever, a viral infection closely related to Zika, can be ruled out. These drugs may cause severe gastrointestinal bleeding.

In most people, the immune system will able to control and clear the infection within a week or two. During that time, Tylenol (acetaminophen), bed rest, and plenty of fluids may be all you need to see you through the illness.

Similarly, aspirin should also not be used in children with a viral infection as this can lead to a potentially life-threatening condition known as Reyes syndrome.

Conjunctivitis Treatment

Viral conjunctivitis is typically not treated; drops or ointment will do little, in anything, to help. Artificial tears and a cooled soaked cloth may help relieve some of the grittiness and discomfort.

In rare cases, Zika-associated conjunctivitis may lead to uveitis (inflammation of the middle layer of the eye). This can be improved with a short course of corticosteroid eye drops.

If you wear contact lenses, you may want to switch to glasses until you are better able to give your eyes a rest. You should avoid sharing eye makeup, hand towels, or eye drops to prevent the spread of infection.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an uncommon disorder of the nervous system in which the immune system attacks its own nerve cells, causing muscle weakness, loss of muscle control, and, on rare occasion, paralysis.

The underlying cause of GBS is not well understood but is almost always preceded by an infection of some sort. Beside the Zika virus, other common causes are cytomegalovirus and Campylobacter jejuni.

Zika-associated GBS has, thus far, been constrained to a relatively small handful of cases in 13 countries (Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Panama, Puerto Rico, Suriname, and Venezuela). The association is real, but rare.

Treatment may include the use of intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) commonly used to treat autoimmune diseases and plasmapheresis, a form of blood dialysis that removes harmful immune cells from the blood. Respiratory support and physical rehabilitation may also be needed.

Congenital Zika

If a mother is infected with Zika during or just prior to pregnancy, there is really nothing that can be done to prevent passing the virus to her baby. With that being said, even if transmission does occur, the risk of a severe complication is only around 2.3%, according to research published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Management of Complications

In the aftermath of the 2016 outbreak, 122 cases of Zika-related birth defects—collectively referred to as congenital Zika virus syndrome—were reported in the United States.

Congenital Zika virus syndrome is characterized by symptoms that can vary in number and range in severity from mild to life-threatening. Chief among them is a potentially catastrophic birth defect known as microcephaly, in which the baby is born with an abnormally small head and brain.

Other congenital complications may include spasticity and seizures, intellectual deficits, retinal eye damage, and physical deformities such as clubfoot or arthrogryposis (contracted and fixed joints).

Treatment, as such, wouldn’t be focused on the Zika infection but rather the aftermath of the infection. Among the options:

  • Microcephaly treatment is mainly supportive. While some children will not have any symptoms other than a decreased head size, others may require lifelong care from a multidisciplinary team of specialists, including neurologists, psychiatrists, physical therapists, and speech therapists.
  • Spasticity and seizures may be treated with antiepileptic medications.
  • Retinal injuries, including macular scarring and chorioretinal atrophy, may require surgery to prevent vision loss and blindness.
  • Physical deformities such as clubfoot or arthrogryposis may be treated with braces, occupational therapy, medical procedures (such as serial stretching and casting), and surgeries like Achilles tenotomy.

Vaccine Development

With no medications to treat a Zika infection or prevent transmission from mother to child, increasing focus has been placed on accelerating vaccine research.

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While there are currently no vaccines available to prevent Zika, a Phase II human trial was approved in March 2017 to test a genetically engineered vaccine based on the same model used to develop the West Nile virus vaccine. If the initial results are positive, larger phase III may be launched as early as 2020. Other vaccines are in trials as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How do you test for the Zika virus?
  • Your doctor may order a blood or urine test to diagnose the Zika virus. These labs could involve a molecular test, which looks for the virus itself, or a serological test, which looks for the presence of antibodies indicating a Zika infection.
  • How dangerous is the Zika virus?
  • The Zika virus is usually mild and most people recover without complications. However, it can cause serious birth defects, including microcephaly. In rare cases, Zika may cause Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), swelling of the brain or spinal cord, or a blood disorder that leads to slow clotting.
  • How can you prevent the Zika virus?
  • The best way to prevent Zika is to protect yourself from mosquitos: Use insect repellent, wear long sleeves and long pants, repair any holes in window screens, and buy a mosquito bed net if you’re sleeping outside. You can also get Zika by having sex with someone who’s infected. If your partner might be infected, protect yourself from getting Zika by using condoms or avoiding sex, especially if pregnant.

Your doctor may order a blood or urine test to diagnose the Zika virus. These labs could involve a molecular test, which looks for the virus itself, or a serological test, which looks for the presence of antibodies indicating a Zika infection.

The Zika virus is usually mild and most people recover without complications. However, it can cause serious birth defects, including microcephaly. In rare cases, Zika may cause Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), swelling of the brain or spinal cord, or a blood disorder that leads to slow clotting.

The best way to prevent Zika is to protect yourself from mosquitos: Use insect repellent, wear long sleeves and long pants, repair any holes in window screens, and buy a mosquito bed net if you’re sleeping outside. You can also get Zika by having sex with someone who’s infected. If your partner might be infected, protect yourself from getting Zika by using condoms or avoiding sex, especially if pregnant.