What is the Difference between Zika Virus, Dengue, Chikungunya? Know symptoms

A 5-year-old in Karnataka recently tested positive for zika virus. The virus is spread by Aedes mosquitoes. Since the virus is a mosquito-borne disease, several people are unable to differentiate between the zika virus, dengue, or chikungunya. It is extremely crucial to understand the difference between the three diseases, and it can only happen after knowing the symptoms of the diseases.

All three diseases are transmitted through viruses and one common thing between all three is that they spread by the bite of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. Let's understand the symptoms of all three disease in detail

Zika virus

Zika virus is transmitted through the Aedes albopictus mosquito bite. The disease is transmittable which means that if a person is infected with the virus, they can infect others as well.

Zika virus: Symptoms

Mild Fever
rashes
redness in eyes or conjunctivitis
pain in muscles and joints, headache
feeling discomfort

Dengue
Just like the Zika virus, Dengue is also a mosquito-borne infection, and a person infected with it can fall severely sick if their platelet counts drop. The danger of dengue increases because water collects in numerous places during the monsoon as it creates mosquito breeding grounds. The signs and symptoms of dengue include a high fever, rash, joint pain, and muscle ache.

Dengue fever: Symptoms

High fever
Body or joints pain
Headaches
Abdominal pain
Extreme fatigue
Vomiting
Lower platelets

Chikungunya
The chikungunya virus infects people through the bite of an infected mosquito. The two primary indicators of infection are fever and joint discomfort.

Chikungunya: Symptoms

Sudden high fever
muscle and joint pains
conjunctivitis
vomiting
maculopapular rash (raised bumps on a flat red patch of the skin)

Zika virus is more infectious as compared to dengue and chikungunya. The majority of Zika virus cases are commonly found in children and pregnant women.

FAQs:

Q1. Zika virus is more commonly found in which age group?
A1. Zika virus is more commonly found in youngsters and pregnant women.

Q2. Which mosquitoes spread the Zika virus?
A2. Aedes mosquitoes spread the Zika virus.