Zika Virus Prevention is Better Than Cure

Zika Virus Prevention is Better Than Cure

Infected Aedes species mosquitoes are the principal vectors for the propagation of the Zika virus (Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus). The daytime and evening hours are when these mosquitoes bite.



Zika virus can be transmitted:

  • Infected Through Mosquito biting
  • A pregnant woman to her fetus
  • sex
  • Blood transfusion (very likely but not confirmed)

The Zika virus's most typical symptoms include:

(Zika virus often causes no symptoms or relatively moderate symptoms in infected individuals.)

  • Fever \Rash \Headache
  • joint discomfort
  • "Red" eyes
  • Achy muscles

The symptoms may persist for a few days to a week. Rarely do people who contract Zika become ill enough to need medical attention. After contracting the virus, a person is probably immune to contracting it again.

How to stop Zika

Inoculations against Zika are not available. Protecting yourself and your family from mosquito bites is the greatest method to stop diseases that mosquitoes can carry.

Take care of your clothes

  • Put on long pants and a shirt with long sleeves.
  • Buy pre-treated things or apply permethrin on your clothing and equipment.

Use of insect repellant:

External icon for an insect repellent that has received Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration and contains one of the following active ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanoate. 

Always adhere to the directions on the product label. These insect repellents are safe and effective even for pregnant and nursing women when used as instructed. On children under the age of three, avoid using products that include para-menthane-diol or oil of lemon eucalyptus.

At-home mosquito netting 

Stay in locations with air conditioning and window and door screens to keep mosquitoes out. Take action to keep mosquitoes under control inside and outside your home. Babies under two months old in carriers, strollers, or cribs may be protected by mosquito netting.

 If air conditioning or screened rooms are not available, or if you are sleeping outside, use a mosquito bed net. Condom use or abstaining from sex to prevent Zika Virus.

How to identify the Zika virus

A person's recent travel history, symptoms, and test outcomes are used to make the diagnosis of Zika.
A test for zika can be performed on blood or urine.
Zika virus has symptoms like dengue and chikungunya, two additional diseases contracted by mosquito bites.
Your doctor or another healthcare professional may order tests to look for various types of infections.

How to treat a Zika infection

  • The Zika virus is not treatable with a particular drug or vaccination. 
  • Get lots of sleep.
  • To avoid becoming dehydrated, consume water.
  • To relieve pain and temperature, take acetaminophen or another similar medication.
  • Take aspirin and other NSAIDs only as directed (NSAIDs).
  • Before taking additional medication, see your healthcare professional if you are already taking medication for another medical condition.

Use these recommendations to safeguard yourself and others from Zika.

  • Avoid coming in contact with the person's blood or bodily fluids.
  • Get rid of mosquito bites.
  • A container of insecticide
  • EPA-registered insect repellents are safe and effective when used as indicated, including for pregnant and nursing women.
  • Consult the CDC's travel advice for information on Zika-risk areas.

Suggestions for infants and kids

  • Adults apply sprays to a child's face with mosquito repellant.
  • Cover strollers and infant carriers with mosquito netting, and dress your child in clothes that protect their arms and legs.
  • Always read the label before applying insect repellent to your child.
  • On children under the age of three, avoid using products that include para-menthane-diol (PMD) or oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE).
  • Never use insect repellent on a child's hands, eyes, mouth, cuts, or other sensitive areas of skin.
  • Spray some bug repellent on your hands first, then apply it on a child's face, or an adult's.

Advice for all

  • Always adheres to the directions on the product label.
  • Apply insect repellant again as necessary.
  • Avoid applying repellant to skin that is covered by clothing.
  • If you're also using sunscreen, apply it first, followed by the bug repellent.
  • The CDC and EPA advise using an insect repellent that has been registered with the EPA to protect yourself from diseases that mosquitoes can carry.
  • Choosing a repellant with an EPA registration assures that the EPA has assessed the product's efficacy.

Attire and equipment

  • Treat clothing and equipment (such as boots, pants, socks, and tents) with 0.5% permethrin or purchase clothing and equipment that has been treated with permethrin.
  • Insecticide permethrin kills or deters mosquitoes.
  • Clothing that has been treated with permethrin shields numerous laundry items.
  • To learn how long the protection will last, see the product information.
  • Follow the package directions if you're treating things yourself.
  • Never apply permethrin straight to the skin.

Additional Precaution

  • Windows and doors should have screens.
  • Steps to reduce mosquito populations both inside and outside
  • Windows and doors should have screens. Fix screen gaps to keep mosquitoes outside.
  • If available, turn on the air conditioning.
  • Eliminate mosquito breeding areas near or in water.
  • Empty and clean anything that holds water, such as tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpots, or garbage cans, once every week. You can also turn it over, cover it, or toss it away.
  • Search both inside and outside for water-holding containers.

Control mosquitoes 

  • Learn how to keep mosquitoes under control both inside and outside your house.
  • Avoid Getting Bit by Mosquitoes When Traveling Abroad
  • External insect repellents with EPA registration
  • Long pants and shirts with sleeves. Thin clothing can let mosquitoes through to bite.
  • If you want to sleep outside or if there are no screened rooms available, use a mosquito net.
  • Keep mosquitoes away from your hotel or other accommodation
  • Pick a lodging option with air conditioning or screens on the windows and doors.
  • If you can't stay in a place with air conditioning or window and door screens, or if you're sleeping outside, use a mosquito net.
  • Packaged bed net

Before going Abroad

  • Before going abroad, purchase a mosquito net from your neighborhood outdoor retailer or online.
  • Choose a mosquito net that is small, white, rectangular, and long enough to tuck beneath the mattress. It should also have 156 holes per square inch.
  • Follow the label directions to find out if you can wash a treated mosquito net.
  • a bed with a bed net.
  • Use mosquito correctly.

How to use mosquitoes net

  • To keep mosquitoes out when using a mosquito net, tuck it under the mattress.
  • Pick a mosquito net that is long enough to reach the floor or tuck netting under the crib mattress.
  • To prevent small infants from becoming choking hazards, pull the net securely. For more details, read the label directions.
  • If the sides of the net are sagging inward toward the sleeping area, hook or tie them to other items.
  • Verify the net for any rips or holes that could allow mosquitoes to enter.
  • The net should not be hung next to candles, cigarettes, or open flames since it could catch fire.
  • A mosquito can still bite through a net's openings, so avoid sleeping right up against one.

Protect others if you have the Zika virus.

The Zika virus can be identified in the blood during the first week of illness and is spread through mosquito bites from one infected person to another. The virus can then infect more persons when a mosquito bites them.
A partner of a person who has Zika can transmit the virus to them through sex. Sexual activity includes exchanging sex toys as well as anal, oral, and vaginal intercourse.

Zika virus casualties

A total of 31,451 Zika cases have been documented in the Region of the Americas between EW 1 and EW 38 of 2022 in 13 of the region's 52 countries and territories. 2,679 cases (8.5%) out of all reported cases had lab confirmation. A cumulative incidence of 3.18 cases per 100,000 people is shown by 31,451. Only 4 deaths from Zika this year. Local Zika transmission has been confirmed in all of the Americas since it was initially discovered in Brazil in March 2014, except for Chile, Uruguay, and Canada across the continent. Four Zika-related deaths have been reported.

Zika cases in the Region

Brazil had the largest percentage of Zika cases in the region with 29,117 cases (92.6%), followed by Guatemala with 1,572 cases (5.0%), Paraguay with 256 cases (0.8%), El Salvador with 146 cases (0.5%), and Bolivia with 134 cases (0.4%).

WHO reaction

Through the execution of the Global Arbovirus Initiative, which aligns with and builds upon the recommendations contained in the Zika Strategic Response Plan, WHO assists nations in conducting surveillance and control of arboviruses.
The WHO responds to Zika in the following ways: assisting nations with outbreak confirmation through its network of cooperating labs; offering technical assistance and advice to nations for the efficient management of outbreaks of diseases spread by mosquitoes; examining the development of new tools, such as insecticide products and application technologies; formulating evidence-based strategies, policies, and outbreak management plans; and providing technical assistance.









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