The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne illness transmitted by the "Aedes" mosquito, specifically the "Aedes Aegypti". The first instance of this virus was in 1947 in Uganda, with it keeping a relatively low profile until 2007, when there was a major outbreak. This virus got a whole lot of publicity in 2015-2016 when it was linked to a slew of birth defects, especially microcephaly (a condition where children are born with smaller-than-normal heads) and a host of other neurological disorders like Guillain-Barre syndrome.
If you somehow contract this virus, the symptoms are mild, including fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis lasting several days to a week. Infected people might also be asymptomatic. Zika spreads primarily through mosquito bites but can be transmitted by sexual contact, blood transfusions, and from mother to baby during pregnancy.
There is no specific treatment or vaccine for the Zika virus, so prevention concentrates mostly on avoiding mosquito bites, spraying insect repellents, wearing protective clothing, and destroying mosquito bedding sites. Pregnant women should avoid areas with Zika transmission to prevent risks to their foetuses.