I had never heard of this virus before cases started to appear in the media in the last week or two. It seems, from this WHO Fact Sheet, found through NICE Evidence Search, that the consequences are a mild fever, conjunctivitis and a rash. But of course, zika, transmitted by mosquitoes, has made it to the news because of the serious effects it has on the fetus, causing microcephaly. It has been linked in the past to autoimmune diseases.
NICE Evidence Search is a good place to start, and finds some of the resources below.
Here are some resources about zika.
News stories:
BBC News, 26.1.16, reporting travel advice from Travel Health Pro.
BBC News, about a WHO report that zika will spread beyond the Americas, 25.1.16
BBC News, reporting three cases in Britons, as reported by Public Health England, 23.1.16
The Guardian, reporting research into the link between zika and Guillain-Barre Syndrome, 23.1.16
BBC News, reporting calls from health officials in South America and the Caribbean that women should delay pregnancy, 23.1.16
The Guardian, 21.1.16
BBC News, 21.1.16
If you read Dutch, De Volkskrant, 22.1.16
Stat News, 21.1.16 (Stat is a US based health news site, which I have recently discovered)
Some guidance:
Public Health England, last updated 26.1.16 .
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, rapid risk assessment of the association with microcephaly and Guillaine-Barre Syndrome.
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, policy briefing for pregnant women planning to travel to affected areas.
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