Zika symptoms

• In many cases, people infected with Zika virus do not exhibit symptoms.
• Zika virus is related to dengue, yellow fever, West Nile virus, and others, and is sometimes misdiagnosed as one of these illnesses.

In the majority of cases, Zika virus infection is asymptomatic — people do not exhibit symptoms. Those with symptoms usually get ill 3–12 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Symptoms include mild fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, nausea, vomiting, and general malaise. The illness is characterized by pink eye (inflammation of the conjunctiva), a skin rash with red spots on the face, neck, trunk, and upper arms which can spread to the palms or soles, and sensitivity to light. Some may also have a lack of appetite, diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, and dizziness. Most people fully recover from the illness within seven days. Treatment includes supportive care of symptoms. There is no antiviral treatment available.

The Zika virus is related to dengue, yellow fever, West Nile virus, and Japanese encephalitis. It may be misdiagnosed for dengue and chikungunya.