The Zika virus is an emerging disease spread by the bites of infected Aedes mosquitoes. For most people, it causes only a brief, mild flu-like illness. But if you’re infected in any trimester of pregnancy, the viral infection can be passed along to your fetus and may cause serious health problems.
Health officials have linked Zika infection to increasing numbers of cases of a birth defect known as microcephaly. The birth defect is characterized by an unusually small head and brain and, frequently, mental retardation and developmental delays, notes the Mayo Clinic. Microcephaly was recently reported in one newborn in Hawaii whose mother contracted the Zika infection in Brazil.
Here are the new CDC recommendations for pregnant travelers to keep you and your baby safe:
- First and foremost, if you’re pregnant and considering travel to an area where people are getting the Zika virus, which you can track on the CDC’s website(current notices are in effect for Puerto Rico, Mexico, and certain countries in Central and South America), the CDC says you should postpone your plans.
- If you decide to go to one of these areas or are traveling there now, protect yourself from mosquitoes in the daytime by staying in screened or air-conditioned areas, wearing clothing that covers your arms and legs, and using permethrin-treated clothing and gear, as well as insect repellents.
- Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about your recent travels, and ask about Zika risks.
- If you’ve traveled to one of the Zika outbreak areas, be on the lookout for symptoms of the Zika virus during your trip and for two weeks after you return home. These include fever, rash, muscle aches, and conjunctivitis (red, itchy eyes). If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor.
- If an ultrasound shows signs of microcephaly in your growing fetus and you’ve recently traveled to one of the affected areas, you’ll need lab tests for the Zika virus. (If you haven’t been to areas where Zika is endemic, you don’t need the tests.) The RT-PCR test looks for Zika virus DNA, and another test detects antibodies that your body makes in response to an infection. Your doctor can test a blood sample and, if you’re 14 or more weeks into your pregnancy, your amniotic fluid in order to test the baby.
- The CDC and state health departments will be doing all Zika lab tests, and your doctor will work with these agencies to get the results. There is no commercial in-office Zika test available yet.
- If the lab tests show that you have, or have had, a Zika virus infection, you’ll need to consider ultrasounds every three to four weeks to monitor your baby’s growth, as well as a referral to a specialist in infectious diseases and maternal-fetal medicine.
The link between Zika infection and the birth defect microcephaly is not well understood, and researchers are still investigating the connection. But because the Zika virus was identified in babies born with microcephaly, which is on the rise in Brazil — a hot zone for the virus — healthcare workers are taking every opportunity to screen for infections in female travelers who are pregnant as a precaution.
There’s no specific treatment or cure for Zika, but your doctor can recommend supportive care: rest, plenty of fluids, and fever-reducing medication. You should avoid aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) during pregnancy because of bleeding risks, according to the new CDC guidelines for Zika treatment.
