The Zika Virus is a disease spread by mosquitoes. The mosquito species responsible for spreading the Zika virus is the Aedes. This mosquito is not found in the Netherlands.

The main difference compared to the mosquito species that spreads Malaria is that the Aedes is active both at night and during the day. This mosquito species can also survive indoors and outdoors. The Zika virus was first discovered in 1947 in monkeys in Uganda. The first human infection was only discovered in 1954 in Nigeria. After that, the virus spread across Africa, South and Central America, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific islands.

In 2015, an outbreak of the virus was detected in Brazil, after which the virus spread to several countries in South and Central America.

Symptoms and consequences

The symptoms of the Zika virus usually appear 3 to 12 days after the bite of an infected mosquito. If you get infected by the Zika virus, you do not always have to develop symptoms. Most people usually recover within a week without serious complaints.

Possible symptoms of the Zika virus are:

Acute fever
Eye inflammation
Muscle aches in hands and feet
Skin rash, usually first on the face
Less frequent: Headache, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain
There is a connection between defects in unborn children and infection with the Zika virus during pregnancy. There is a risk that the unborn child may have Microcephaly, which is a brain defect.

The virus is most common in tropical countries, as it prefers a wet and warm climate. Because the mosquito species that spreads the Zika virus occurs worldwide, according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), it is not unthinkable that outbreaks may occur in other parts of the world. The virus does not occur in areas higher than 2,000 meters.

Spread, treatment, and protection

The biggest problem with the virus is that there is currently no vaccine for it. Researchers worldwide are searching for a vaccine, but such research requires a lot of time and money.

The Zika virus is getting more opportunities for spreading due to several factors:

Climate change. As mentioned earlier, mosquitoes like a warm climate. As it gets warmer worldwide, the mosquito gets better living conditions, and there will be more Aedes mosquitoes.

Increased travel. A mosquito will fly no more than about 400 meters in its lifetime. A single mosquito cannot realize long-distance spreading, but a single person can. People travel much more now than in the past, and this trend continues.

Higher population density. As noted earlier, a single mosquito does not travel long distances in its life. If many people live within a small area, one mosquito can infect more people with the virus. In many places around the world, population density is currently increasing. Buildings also protect mosquitoes from the weather, which can extend the mosquito's lifespan.

To protect yourself as much as possible against the Zika virus, you can take some measures:

Wear protective clothing
Wear clothing that mosquitoes cannot adhere to
Apply Deet to uncovered skin
Sleep under a mosquito net or in another mosquito-free environment

What is the Zika Virus?

Symptoms and consequences

Spread, treatment, and protection