The zika virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947. The virusis transmitted from person to person by a bite from a mosquito. Itis commonly carried by the Aedes mosquito which is prevalentthroughout Central Africa. The virus has more recently spread tothe Americas (South, Central, and now North) and is expected tospread to Europe. There is a concern that the virus may reachepidemic proportions. Zika virus is related to yellow and denguefever. Common symptoms are low grade fever and a distinctive skinrash and other symptoms include vomiting, headache, and muscleand/or joint pain. Pregnant women should avoid traveling to areasknown to have zika virus present because the virus is known tocause microcephaly and developmental difficulties related to thecentral nervous system.

Based on the paragraph above, class discussions, and other VALID(be careful with your selection of e-materials! CDC – Center forDisease Control is a good place to start) sources of informationplease answer the following questions.

1. State a reason why the virus has spread to the Americas andlikely to spread to Europe.

1. Define the term microcephaly.

1. What bones of the fetal skull would be affected by zika?

1. Specifically, what area of the CNS is not fully developed inmicrocephalic individuals.

1. In 1 -3 sentences describe the developmental difficulties ofmicrocephalic individuals.

1. How does one know if they have contracted zika?

1. Do men need to be concerned about contracting zika?

1. How does one avoid contracting zika?

1. In a short paragraph (2-5 sentences!) provide one example of ascientific measure that could possibly control the spread of zikaand explain how the measure works (controls the spread).