The key facts

  • Clinical signs of Zika infection appear in only about 20% of those infected
  • The main threat is the consequences for pregnant women: the risk of microcephaly in the newborn and Guillain-Barré syndrome
  • There is no specific treatment; therapy is limited to relieving symptoms

Most cases go unnoticed

The Zika virus shows no symptoms in about 80% of cases, and clinical signs appear in only one in five infected people. This was reported to TASS by Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology at the Institute of Clinical Medicine of Pirogov University under the Russian Ministry of Health Murad Shakhmardanov. According to him, in about 20% of cases the infection manifests as fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis.

Who the virus is dangerous for and how it is treated

Symptoms, the specialist explained, appear 3–14 days after infection and last about 2–7 days. For an adult with a normal immune system, the illness is mild, and fatalities are extremely rare. The main threat concerns pregnant women: the virus can cause microcephaly in a newborn or the development of Guillain-Barré syndrome. There is no specific treatment for Zika fever — therapy comes down to rest, plenty of fluids, antipyretics and painkillers. In uncomplicated cases, the acute phase ends within a week, and hospitalization is not required.

Imported cases in Russia

The epidemiologist's comment came amid reports of the virus being imported into Russia: in Moscow, Zika fever was diagnosed in a woman who returned in September from the Indonesian island of Bali. Earlier, Rospotrebnadzor also cited the number of dangerous infections imported into the country; specific figures are not given in the available publications. For readers, this means the risk is associated mainly with travel to regions where the virus circulates, rather than with domestic transmission — no cases of local transmission were mentioned in the reports.