As with any illness, tell the child’s family if you are concerned about their health. Contact 911 or your local emergency system if you think a child may be having a medical emergency.

Zika is a virus that is thought to spread through mosquito bites; there has also been at least one documented case of sexual transmission. The illness is usually mild, with symptoms lasting from several days to one week. About one in five people infected with Zika virus develop symptoms. Hospitalization is not common.

Zika virus has been found in Mexico, several countries in Central and South America, and several islands in the Caribbean including Puerto Rico. Some imported cases were diagnosed in the United States.

What are the symptoms of Zika virus?

The most common symptoms of Zika virus are:

• Fever
• Rash
• Joint pain
• Conjunctivitis (red eyes)

Other common symptoms include muscle pain and headache.

If a person develops symptoms, a health care provider may order blood tests to look for Zika virus or other similar viral diseases. People who have recently traveled should tell their health care provider.

Zika is a notifiable disease.

If a staff member or child is diagnosed with Zika or has been around someone who is infected, contact and follow guidance from the public health department in your jurisdiction. Your local health authorities can help you notify parents/guardians about their child’s possible or confirmed exposures to an infectious disease.

How does Zika virus spread?

Zika virus is thought to mainly spread through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes. These mosquitoes are aggressive daytime biters, but they also bite at night. Mosquitoes become infected when they bite a person who has the virus. Zika virus can also spread from a pregnant mother to her baby during pregnancy or during birth. There has been a documented case of transmission of the Zika virus through sexual contact.

Who is at risk?

Anyone who lives in or travels to an area where Zika virus is found and who has not been infected before is at risk. Zika virus can also spread through sexual contact.

How to put insect repellent on children:

• Put insect repellent on your hands then put it on the child’s face.
• Don’t use oil of lemon and eucalyptus on children younger than 3 years old.
• Don’t use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months.
• Protect children younger than 2 months by covering their carrier with mosquito netting.
• Don't put insect repellent on a child’s hands, eyes, mouth, and cut or irritated skin.

Get written permission from families before using insect repellent.

How can providers limit the spread of Zika virus infection?

Help protect children and staff from mosquito bites:

• Make sure there is no standing water near play areas. Once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out items that hold water.
  • Buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpots, or trash containers can hold stagnant water that mosquitoes use to breed.
• Cover up! Wear protective clothing. Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants covering most of the body when outside.
• Stay in places with air conditioning or window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside, especially at night. Mosquitoes that spread the virus bite mostly during the day.
• Use EPA-approved insect repellents.
  • Follow label instructions; reapply as directed.
  • If you are using sunscreen, apply it before the insect repellent.

As always, follow regular infection control practices to help keep everyone healthy:

• Follow, review, and update exclusion policies. Exclude children if they:
  • Are too sick to take part in program activities.
  • Need more care than staff can give them without affecting the health and safety of other children.
  • Show any other signs or symptoms in your “stay home when sick” policy.
• Use your program’s health experts, including your Health and Mental Health Services Advisory Committee or child care health consultant, to stay up to date and to develop policies and procedures to prevent the spread of illness.

How can providers partner with families?

Here are some ways programs can partner with families:

• Check out the Preventing Infectious Diseases resources on CDC’s Early Care and Education Portal.
• Help families find and use information about EPA-approved insect repellent.
• As with any illness, encourage families to contact the child’s health care provider with questions or concerns about symptoms that get worse.
• Remind families to call 911 or their local emergency system if they think their child may be having a medical emergency.

« Go to Infectious Disease Fact Sheets

Last Updated: August 8, 2025