Two Hungarian tourists returned from Thailand infected with the Zika virus after being bitten by a tropical mosquito. This was reported by the National Center for Public Health in Budapest.
Fortunately, the tourists who arrived from Thailand had only mild symptoms, the department said.
“Since there is no vaccine or cure for the Zika virus, it is essential to protect yourself from being bitten by mosquitoes that spread the virus when traveling to tropical and subtropical regions,” the Hungarian public health authority said.
Tourists have been advised to always take insect repellent with them, use mosquito nets, and wear long-sleeved T-shirts and trousers that completely cover the legs.
According to medical evidence, most cases of Zika virus infection are asymptomatic, and only a few infected people show mild symptoms after an incubation period of 3-14 days. It can be fever or fever, malaise, headache, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis.
“When pregnant women are infected, the fetus may develop a congenital anomaly in the development of the nervous system, so expectant mothers need to carefully monitor their health when visiting tropical countries,” the Health Center added.
The Zika virus is a pathogen found in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific, which is mainly spread by mosquito bites, but the infection can also be transmitted sexually or from a pregnant mother to her fetus.