Zika is a virus that can be spread through mosquitoes, from mother to baby during pregnancy, or sex with an infected partner. Zika-infected mosquitoes are not here in Los Angeles County, but travelers to Zika-affected countries should know how to protect themselves and their families.

Anyone can get Zika

You can get Zika from a mosquito bite if you travel to an area with Zika. When you return from your travels, you can possibly give Zika to a mosquito around your home. If you are infected with Zika, a non-infected mosquito can get Zika from biting you!

Zika is primarily transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, the same mosquitoes that spread dengue and chikungunya.

Zika can also be passed through unprotected sex from a person who has Zika to his or her sex partner(s). A pregnant woman can spread the Zika virus to her fetus during any trimester of pregnancy or even around the time of birth.

https://www.cdc.gov/zika/pdfs/zika-what-we-know-infographic.pdf 

Find out more information on how to protect yourself from mosquitoes.

If you or your partner is pregnant,
do not travel to areas with Zika

Most people with Zika do not show symptoms

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/zika/symptoms/symptoms.html  

Common symptoms of Zika include:

• Mild fever – less than 38.5°C or 101.3°F
• Headache – continuous pain in the head
• Rash – looks like red bumps on a flat, red patch of skin
• Conjunctivitis – red eyes with redness in the white of the eyes
• Joint pain – often occurs in the small joints of hands and feet
• Muscle pain – soreness or aching in muscles
• Pain behind the eyes
• Nausea or vomiting

These symptoms usually last for several days to a week. If you think you may have Zika, it is important to talk to your doctor. Your doctor will determine whether or not you should get tested for Zika.

Find out more information on symptoms and testing for Zika.