What are the causes, symptoms and effects of the Zika virus?
The Zika virus is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, that breeds in fresh water and bites during the day. The virus causes birth defects and neurological problems like microcephaly (which leads to unusually small heads in babies) and Guillain-Barre syndrome (disorder that causes paralysis). Its symptoms are mild fever, skin rash, muscle and joint pain, headache and body ache.