Zika Virus: Information and Resources
For general updates, plus loads of educational and outreach materials, visit the Zika pages of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, California Department of Public Health, L.A. County Department of Public Health, and the March of Dimes. Specific updates we’ve made to this page:
- 5/3/17: See the CDC’s interactive tool to Know Your Zika Risk.
- 10/31/16: Zika virus could cause infertility in men, new study suggests (The Telegraph)
- 9/27/16: See the March of Dimes continuing nursing education (CNE) article: Zika Virus: What Every Nurse Should Know (1.7 contact hours available for this activity through 9/30/17). Also see their Zika Virus and Pregnancy fact sheet, available in English and Spanish.
- 9/12/16: See the Calif. Dept. of Public Health’s Zika Virus FAQs for Healthcare Providers: Recommendations for Couples Who Are Not Pregnant but Planning Pregnancy.
- 8/8/16: See these recent advisories and articles: CDC Guidance for Travel and Testing of Pregnant Women and Women of Reproductive Age for Zika Virus Infection; CDPH Report of Two Cases of Zika-Related Birth Defects in California; and 5 things Southern Californians need to know about Zika (LA Daily News).
- 4/11/16: See the CDC’s Preventing Transmission of Zika Virus in Labor and Delivery Settings.
- 3/25/16: See LAC DPH Health Update: Zika Virus Infection Update #4 – Updated CDC Interim Guidance for Prevention of Sexual Transmission and for Health Care Providers Caring for Women of Reproductive Age.
- 2/29/16: L.A. County Department of Public Health posted a video, which we’ve included below.
U.S. and international health authorities report that the Zika virus has spread rapidly in Latin America and the Caribbean, and there are concerns about the possibility of a wider outbreak in the U.S. The mosquito-borne virus is linked to microcephaly and other neurological disorders in babies born to infected mothers. Here are some resources you can use to help educate families and raise awareness about Zika.
Fact Sheets, Infographics
For the latest updates, see the Zika webpages of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the California Department of Public Health, and the L.A. County Department of Public Health. Here are some printable handouts you can give to the families you work with (use this order form to get free Zika posters and other printed materials from the CDPH):
- Zika and Pregnancy Poster in English and Spanish (Calif. Dept. of Public Health)
- Zika – Frequently Asked Questions in English and Spanish (L.A. County Dept. of Public Health)
- Zika Fact Sheet in English and Spanish (Calif. Dept. of Public Health)
- Zika Virus and Pregnancy Fact Sheet in English and Spanish (March of Dimes)
- Zika and Pregnancy Fact Sheet in English, Spanish, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, and Vietnamese (Boston Public Health Commission)
- Zika Virus Disease: Questions and Answers in English and Spanish (WHO)
- Zika Virus Fact Sheet in English and Spanish (WHO)
- Mosquito Bite Prevention for Travelers in English and Spanish (CDC)
- Zika Virus Information for Pregnant Women (CDC)
- Zika Virus Disease Q & A (CDC)
- Infographic: Top 5 Things Everyone Needs to Know About Zika in English and Spanish (CDC)
- Infographic: Zika: What We Know and What We Don’t Know in English and Spanish (CDC)
- Infographic: Zika Virus and Pregnancy (March of Dimes)
- Infographic: Zika and Mosquitoes (March of Dimes)
Information for Health Care Providers
- Talk Zika: Pregnancy talking points (Calif. Dept. of Public Health)
- Zika Virus FAQs for Healthcare Providers: Recommendations for Couples Who Are Not Pregnant but Planning Pregnancy (Calif. Dept. of Public Health)
- Zika Information for Health Care Providers (CDC)
- Preventing Transmission of Zika Virus in Labor and Delivery Settings (CDC)
- Update: Interim Guidelines for Health Care Providers Caring for Pregnant Women and Women of Reproductive Age with Possible Zika Virus Exposure (CDC)
- Zika Virus Infection: Management Recommendations for Pregnant Women and Guidance to Prevent Sexual Transmission (L.A. County Dept. of Public Health)
Phone/Chat Support
If you or the families you work with have questions about the Zika virus, you can contact the L.A. County Department of Public Health at 213-240-7941. You can also speak with a bilingual (English/Spanish) MotherToBaby expert at 866-626-6847 or text questions to 855-999-3525. Or chat live or send an email through MotherToBaby.org. MotherToBaby is a nationwide resource recommended by many agencies, including the CDC and the FDA’s Office of Women’s Health.
Here are a few videos with helpful overviews, the first from the L.A. County Department of Public Health, the second from the CDC, and the third from the Washington Post.
Video 1: Dr. Laurene Mascola, Chief of Acute Communicable Disease Control of Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, provides an update on Zika:
Video 2: The CDC’s “Zika Virus 101”:
Video 3: Basic information on the virus, as reported by the Washington Post (1/28/16):