Zika
Americannoun
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Zika disease, Zika fever, Zika virus disease. an illness caused by a chiefly mosquito-borne virus of the genus Flavivirus , typically characterized by mild fever, rash, and joint pain.
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the virus that causes this illness; Zika virus.
Etymology
Origin of Zika
First recorded in 1950–55, Zika is from the Luganda word zika “overgrown”; the virus was first identified in a rhesus monkey in the Zika Forest in Uganda
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The same mosquito carries the diseases Zika and Chikungunya.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
He advised each of the last seven U.S. presidents on new viral epidemics faced by the world, including multiple recurrences of Ebola, HIV/AIDS, Sars-CoV-1, H1N1 Influenza, Zika and then Sars-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
The bacteria itself blocks transmission of diseases such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya, so "you will still have mosquitoes biting people, but they will not transmit disease."
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Zika can spread from a birthing parent to their child in the womb and cause congenital disabilities, which notoriously led to panic after an outbreak erupted in Brazil in 2015.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
Polluted air, bacteria-infested water, and the Zika virus.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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