Zika - Institut Pasteur de Lille

ZIKA
Last updated on September 5, 2016
The Zika disease (Zika) is a viral infection that is essentially transmitted by mosquito bites of the Aedes
genus. Protection against mosquito bites is essential as there is no treatment or active vaccines against this
virus. The virus can also be sexually transmitted.
Currently, the disease has affected most of the countries of Latin America and Central America from Paraguay
to Mexico as well as the West Indies and the Caribbean islands.
List of countries with widespread transmission of Zika over the last 3 months (source: ECDC): American Samoa,
Argentina (Tucuman province), Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Bonaire, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Colombia, Costa
Rica, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Guadeloupe,
Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Micronésia, Nicaragua, Panama,
Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
Samoa, Singapore, Sint Maarten, Suriname, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Virgin Island
(US), USA (Florida)
List of countries with sporadic transmission of Zika over the last 3 months (source: ECDC): Anguilla,
Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Saba, Sint Eustatius, Turks and Caicos Islands, Vietnam, Virgin Island (UK)
In three quarters of cases, Zika does not cause any clinical signs, but the epidemic results in a resurgence in
cases of microcephaly in the newborn babies of mothers infected during pregnancy (by mosquito bites or
sexual transmission). Under these conditions, Institut Pasteur de Lille recommends the following:
1. For pregnant women planning to travel to a zone suffering from the Zika epidemic:
- Consider, regardless of the term of the pregnancy, deferring their trip;
- If they cannot or do not want to defer their trip:
- Respect the protective measures against mosquito bites;
- Avoid any unprotected sexual relations during the trip. On their return, during the pregnancy, avoid
any unprotected sexual relations with a man who may have been infected by the Zika virus;
- Consult a GP in the event of clinical symptoms that may indicate a Zika infection during the trip or on
returning from it.
2. For women who are planning a pregnancy and considering travelling to a zone suffering from the
Zika epidemic:
- Consider deferring plans for a pregnancy to when they return from the trip or consider deferring the trip.
- In the event of the trip being deferred, avoid any unprotected sexual relations with a man who may have
been infected by the Zika virus;
- In the case of travelling, consider using contraception throughout the trip or, failing this:
- Respect the protective measures against mosquito bites;
- Avoid any unprotected sexual relations during the trip. On the return, before and during the
pregnancy, avoid any unprotected sexual relations with a man who may have been infected by the Zika
virus;
- Consult a GP in the event of clinical symptoms that may indicate a Zika infection during the trip or on
returning from it.
- Follow the recommendations of the "Agence de la Biomédecine" regarding the French framework for
handling fertility treatment ("AMP") by artificial insemination, in vitro fertilisation or the transfer of frozen
embryos of those concerned.
These recommendations are liable to change according to the developments in the available data and
knowledge.
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