Zika virus is an arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) found in Central and South America, the Caribbean, Africa, South Asia and Oceania. Most people with Zika will have no symptoms or just mild ones, such as fever, rash, headache, joint pain, red eyes, and muscle pain. However, Zika infection during pregnancy can cause microcephaly and other severe birth defects in the fetus.

Zika is primarily transmitted via the bite of an infected mosquito of the genus Aedes, namely Aedes egypti and Aedes albopictus; however, it also can be spread through sex and from a pregnant woman to her fetus. Aedes mosquitoes can be found worldwide, in both tropical and subtropical regions.

Although established populations of Aedes aegypti have not been found in Indiana, Aedes albopictus can be found in the southern two-thirds of the state. Zika is not found in Indiana mosquitoes, and so far all cases documented in Indiana residents have been acquired while traveling outside of the United States.

To learn more about Zika, please visit the CDC Zika webpage.

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