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National Invasive Species Information Center
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Home / Terrestrial Invasives / Terrestrial Pathogens and Diseases / Zika Virus Disease

Zika Virus Disease

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Zika virus disease
Zika virus disease
Common Name: 

Zika virus disease, Zika (ZIKV)

Date of U.S. Introduction: 

On Aug 1, 2016, CDC issued guidance for people living in or traveling to a 1-square-mile area of the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami, FL, identified by the Florida Department of Health as having mosquito-borne spread of Zika. (https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/han00393.asp)

Means of Introduction: 

Ae. aegypti is the primary vector responsible for the current outbreak in the Americas. Ae. albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito) has been shown to be able to transmit Zika virus in Africa and in laboratory settings, although it does not yet appear to be a major vector of the virus. (Plourde and Bloch 2016; WHO 2016)

Impact: 

The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito. People usually don't get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika. For this reason, many people might not realize they have been infected. However, Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause a serious birth defect called microcephaly, as well as other severe fetal brain defects. Once a person has been infected, he or she is likely to be protected from future infections. (DHHS, CDC)

Current U.S. Distribution: 
There is no current local transmission of Zika virus in the continental United States, including Florida and Texas, which reported transmission of Zika virus in 2016-17 (https://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/)

Spotlights

About Zika Virus Disease

DHHS. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Zika virus disease (Zika or ZIKV) is a disease caused by the Zika virus, which is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito.

Google News - Zika Virus Funding
Google.
Invasive Mosquito Project
Invasive Mosquito Project.
The Invasive Mosquito Project is aimed at monitoring invasive container-inhabiting mosquito species across the United States. By doing this monitoring, we can determine where the invasive mosquito species, as well as native species, are distributed across the U.S. and define at-risk human and animal populations based on this distribution. This citizen science project provides students, teachers, and anyone interested the opportunity to collect real data and contribute to a national mosquito species distribution study.

Videos

YouTube - A Quick Way To Spot Zika in Mosquitoes

Google. YouTube; USDA. Agricultural Research Service.

YouTube - Zika Virus 101

Google. YouTube; DHHS. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source. Or, to display all related content view all resources for Zika Virus Disease.

Partnership
Fact Sheets - Zika Virus (Jul 2018)

UN. World Health Organization.

See also: Zika Outbreak: WHO's Global Emergency Response Plan

Potential Zika Virus Risk Estimated for 50 U.S. Cities (Mar 16, 2016)
The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Atmos News.
Combating Zika and Future Threats: A Grand Challenge for Development
U.S. Agency for International Development.
National Pest Alert: Zika Virus

North Central Integrated Pest Management Center.

See also: Pest Alerts for more resources

Zika Virus Infection

Pan American Health Organization; Regional Office for The Americas of the World Health Organization.

See also: Latest Global Situation Report on Zika

Federal Government
USDA Pest Management Program Targets Virus-transmitting Mosquitoes (Feb 3, 2016)

USDA. Agricultural Research Service. News.

The Zika Virus: What You Need to Know (Feb 23, 2016)
White House Blog. President Barack Obama (archives).
See also: Fact Sheet: Preparing for and Responding to the Zika Virus at Home and Abroad (Feb 8, 2016)
State & Territorial Health Department Websites

DHHS. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Provides links and resources for State Health Departments, many of which have information about Zika virus and West Nile virus with specific state information.

Zika Virus

DHHS. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Zika Virus Response Updates from FDA
DHHS. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
International Government
Zika Virus Disease

European Union. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Academic
EDIS Topic - Zika Virus

University of Florida. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension.

Electronic Data Information Source - publication resources

Emerging Infections and Biodefense - Zika

Baylor College of Medicine.

Professional
PLOS Collections - Zika

Public Library of Science.

Note: Collection of all Zika-related research published in PLOS journals; freely accessible

Zika Virus Resource Centre
Lancet.
Note: Collection of scientific/technical articles published in Lancet journals; freely accessible
Zika Virus Resource Summary for Ob-Gyns and Health Care Providers
American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Commercial
Zika Virus News

Thomas Reuters Foundation News.

Citations