Thus far, Zika has not been identified in Indiana mosquitoes. Because we do not know when or if it will arrive, pregnant women should protect themselves from mosquito bites.
Pregnant women who are bitten by mosquitoes will only be exposed to Zika if the mosquito has the Zika virus present in its system. A mosquito becomes a carrier of Zika virus by taking a blood meal from an infected person. Only Aedesaegypti (not found in Indiana) and Aedesalbopictus (found in some parts of Indiana) can possibly infect someone with Zika virus.
When a woman is infected during pregnancy, there is an increased risk for microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects. A pregnant woman may also pass Zika to her newborn during delivery. To date, Zika virus has not been identified in breast milk.
It is not clear how likely it is for an infection to spread from mother to fetus, how likely it is for an infection to cause birth defects, or how timing of infection affects the developing fetus.
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