FAQs

COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ZIKA VIRUS

Orli R. Etingin, MD, answers a question posed by a reader of the publication she edits, Weill Cornell Medicine’s Women’s Health Advisor. Dr. Etingen is Director, Iris Cantor Women’s Health Center; Vice Chairman, Dept. of Medicine; and Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Q: Can you die from the Zika virus? I’m going to be visiting my daughter in Panama this summer, and I’m concerned, since Zika is a known risk in the region. I remember hearing about an elderly man in France who died due to the Zika virus.

A: It is mainly pregnant women who can suffer serious complications associated with Zika—as you are likely aware, unborn babies can be seriously affected by the virus. However, there is also some evidence that older adults may be susceptible to Zika because the immune system wanes with age, meaning you have less resistance when it comes to combating infections.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), seniors who contract Zika may have a slightly greater risk for a neurological condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome. Guillain-Barre causes the immune system to attack the nervous system, resulting in gradual weakness in the arms and legs, with paralysis occurring in severe cases. Temporary hearing loss and vertigo have also been reported in older adults with Zika. The elderly man you heard about was in Martinique, a French island in the Caribbean Sea. However, deaths among adults infected with the virus are rare. Symptoms include a mild fever, rash, headache, joint pain, and red, sore eyes. In fact, the majority of adults who have the virus experience no symptoms.

Complications associated with the Zika virus are very rare, but since there is no vaccine for the virus, you should take steps to protect yourself from mosquitoes while you are in Panama. The mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus are most active during the two hours after sunrise and several hours before sunset, so stay indoors during these times if possible, use a good mosquito repellent, and wear long-sleeved clothing and pants at all times. These precautions should ensure that you can safely enjoy your vacation.

Judith Aberg, MD, PhD Infectious Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, answers a question about the Zika virus.

Q: Are seniors at risk for ill effects from Zika? I live in the south, where the climate is warm year-round—what are the Zika virus symptoms I should look out for?

A: Currently there is not any solid evidence suggesting that older adults are any more vulnerable than younger people after exposure to the Zika virus. However, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that seniors who do develop Zika may have a slightly greater risk for a rare neurological condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome. Guillain-Barre causes the immune system to attack the nervous system after exposure to a virus or bacteria, and results in gradual weakness in the arms and legs (and paralysis in severe cases). Brazilian medical researchers also have reported temporary hearing loss and vertigo in older adults with Zika.

You are likely aware that there is no vaccine currently available that protects against Zika. Since you live in an area with a large mosquito population, your best protection against the Zika virus and its symptoms—which are typically mild, and include joint pain, fever, a rash, and headaches—is to use a good mosquito repellent (visit the Environmental Protection Agency website at www.epa.gov for an online tool to help you select the best repellent for you), and wear long pants and long-sleeved clothing. The mosquitoes that carry Zika virus are most active during the daylight (especially during the two hours after sunrise and several hours before sunset), but can bite at any time of the day or night, so it is important to protect yourself at all times. Also be sure not to leave standing water near your home, since this enables mosquitoes to breed.