A 17-year-old girl from Des Moines, Washington, tested positive for Zika following her trip to the Caribbean islands in Haiti. What's more shocking about her experience was that she didn't get a proper diagnosis for her condition until she made a follow up with her doctor. It took her six weeks to get confirmation.
Olivia Evans returned home from her Haiti trip in April bearing "lots of mosquito bites," she told Komo News. A week back home, she started developing hives, headaches and a score of other mild symptoms. Her doctor told her this could be anything.
Zika Virus Testing Took Weeks
However, knowing that she had been in a region included in the Zika watchlist determined by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), her doctor asked her to get tested for Zika virus. She was also told that the results could take over four weeks as testing for Zika infection is centralized at the CDC.
She would also need to secure an approval from the county health department for the tests as her case is not a priority. ABC reports that pregnant women's test results take precedence over other potential Zika cases because of the potential harm to the baby in the womb.
Worse, her blood sample was destroyed at the clinic before it was tested, so she had to give new samples, which delayed her test further. Six weeks and more symptoms later, she got her results and learned she was positive for Zika. Olivia Evans admitted to being shocked and speechless. "Then I got very sad," she told Komo News.
What's it like to live with the #ZikaVirus Teenager tells her story, symptoms and frustrations w/ testing #komonews pic.twitter.com/lyfpHn66wp
— Matt Markovich (@mattmarkovich) June 2, 2016
Zika Long-term Outcomes Still Undetermined
While relieved she finally knows what has been ailing her, Olivia Evans admits that having the infection is still causing her anxiety. Although she's young, the doctor advised against her getting pregnant within two years. The teenager is wary of the timeline since the medical community is still learning new things about the Zika virus to this day. She wonders if contacting Zika virus will affect her and her future children five years down the line.
It's infants who are most affected by the Zika virus as it has been linked to birth defects or microcephaly, Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and even death in babies. The CDC recommends repeated screenings and follow-up check-ups for babies diagnosed with Zika infection, per its pediatrician guidelines. It admits that the long-term effects and complications are not yet known by medical experts.
Olivia Evans is speaking out and sharing her story to raise awareness on Zika infection since, as her case shows, it's not just pregnant moms and babies who will have to manage the effects of the disease. Her mom, Marla, also got tested after developing flu-like symptoms after Olivia arrived home. She's still awaiting her results.
