Zika in the second trimester

Zika can be transmitted to a developing baby during pregnancy. Infection has been associated with changes in brain development and other birth differences. The second trimester is not a reason to dismiss an exposure; care is guided by the precise timing, your health, and the details of possible contact with the virus.

Zika may cause fever, a rash, joint pain, or red eyes, but many people have no clear illness. Symptoms alone cannot confirm or exclude infection, and other infections can produce similar complaints.

Tell your maternity clinician about the country or area visited, dates away, mosquito bites, illness, and any sexual exposure involving a person who travelled. Keep the information available for future appointments. The clinician can decide whether a test, an ultrasound review, or other follow-up is relevant.

Prevent additional exposure by using mosquito-bite precautions during travel and by discussing sexual precautions with your clinician. Do not start medicines, supplements, or tests on your own in an attempt to treat Zika.

Contact your maternity team promptly after possible exposure, even if you have no symptoms. Seek urgent assessment for heavy bleeding, severe abdominal pain, fainting, chest pain, breathing difficulty, severe headache, or new weakness. These warning signs require care in pregnancy whatever their cause.

Ask what information will help assess your exposure, whether testing is useful now, how results may be interpreted, and whether your usual pregnancy monitoring needs adjustment. Ask how to reduce risk if you or your partner expect to travel again.