In pregnant women, the Zika virus causes serious birth defects.It is spread by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which contracts it from an infected human.It must replicate and spread within the mosquito before it can infect a human.Infected humans can spread the virus through sex and from mother to unborn child.In this relationship, how can the Zika virus be characterized?

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The Zika virus is a microparasite, meaning it is a small parasite such as a virus or bacteria, and an endoparasite, meaning it lives inside the host's body. It is not a macroparasite as it is not visible to the naked eye and does not live on the surface of the host's body. It is also not characterized as an ectoparasite as it is not a parasite that lives on the external surface of its host. Finally, it is a pathogen as it causes disease in its host.

In Pregnant Women, the Zika Virus Causes Serious Birth Defects