Dominican Republic – Zika Virus

The mosquito-borne Zika virus, also referred to as ZIKV, has now reached the Caribbean, with a 12-year-old girl in the Dominican Republic becoming the first person to contract the virus. The zika virus is transmitted by the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito, the same mosquito that transmits chikungunya and dengue. Symptoms are similar to dengue including fever, joint and muscle pain, conjunctivitis, headache, weakness, rash and swelling of the lower limbs. After the bite of an infected mosquito, symptoms usually appear following the incubation period of three to 12 days and last for four to seven days.