Zika Transmission from infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes – What you need to know

Zika virus, similar to other members of the flavivirus family including dengue and West Nile virus, is most typically transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Less commonly, Zika virus can be spread from person to person through sexual intercourse. Most people infected with Zika virus do not become sick; but about 1 in 5 people may develop such symptoms as fever, rash, and conjunctivitis (reddened eyes). People who become infected while pregnant may transmit the virus to the fetus, which can result in very serious birth defects, including microcephaly (unusually small head). (Source: www.niaid.nih.gov)

The Spread of the Zika Virus

In 2015, news reports drew attention to the rapid spread of Zika in Latin America and the Caribbean.  At that time, the Pan American Health Organization published a list of countries and territories that experienced “local Zika virus transmission” comprising Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Suriname, and Venezuela. By August 2016, more than 50 countries had experienced active (local) transmission of Zika virus. (Source: en.wikipedia.org)

Zika is spread by Female Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes

Zika is primarily spread by the female Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is active mostly in the daytime. The mosquitos must feed on blood to lay eggs.

Isolated from several arboreal mosquito species in the genus Aedes, such as A. africanus, A. apicoargenteus, A. furcifer, A. hensilli, A. luteocephalus, and A. vittatus, with an extrinsic incubation period in mosquitoes around 10 days. (Source: en.wikipedia.org)

Detecting the Zika Virus

The extent of the vectors is still unknown. Zika has been detected in many more species of Aedes, along with Anopheles coustani, Mansonia uniformis, and Culex perfuscus, although this alone does not incriminate them as vectors.  Detecting the presence of the virus usually requires genetic material to be analyzed in a lab. A much cheaper and faster method involves shining a light at the head and thorax of the mosquito and detecting chemical compounds characteristic of the virus. (Source: en.wikipedia.org)