Credit: Image: Dr. Kenneth Kim and Dr. Gina Kirchweger, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology
Although Zika is primarily thought of as mosquito-borne illness, sexual transmission plays an important role in the spread of the virus. Weeks or even months after the virus has been cleared from the bloodstream, Zika can still be found in semen and transmitted through sexual contact. Women can pass the virus to their unborn babies during pregnancy.