Exclusive: FIU Med Student Describes Getting Zika Virus Weeks Before Outbreak

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Even before everyone started hearing about the Zika virus outbreak, a few weeks ago, a first-year medical student at Florida International University had already been infected.

The young doctor-to-be became his own experiment as he tried to figure out what was wrong with him.

"Out of nowhere I felt a really, really, really strong headache," Christophe de Lespinasse explained.

While on a medical mission in his native Haiti last November, the worst headache ever made de Lespinasse think he was coming down with something. By the next day, he also had a rash.

"I thought to myself, 'Well, it's some kind of virus.' But, I wasn't too worried," de Lespinasse told CBS4 Reporter Donna Rapado. "But when the rash spread all around my upper body, I thought, 'Well, it's not your typical viral illness.'"

Besides the spreading rash and debilitating headache, de Lespinasse said he ran a fever, he was weak and he had pain behind the eyes.

After about four days and a trip to the doctor he was better. It turns out the 27-year old had the Zika virus.

"I had no idea what it was. I just knew that I was sick, so I thought it might be some other kind of disease. But back then I had never heard of it."

Suddenly, the first-year med student from FIU became his own medical lesson as he tried to find a diagnosis.

"I Started going through my notes to see what disease it could be," de Lespinasse said.

De Lespinasse's twin brother also had similar symptoms in Haiti around the same time. But doctors never confirmed it was Zika. Though by December, the number of cases there were climbing.

By January, and once he was back in Miami, health officials were warning about the Zika outbreak.

While they say just one in five people infected have severe symptoms and rarely need hospitalization, scientists were warning about the possible threat to pregnant women.

They suspect a link between the Zika virus and microcephaly, a birth defect that causes small heads and brain damage in babies.

"And to me it's just heartbreaking. For mothers who are pregnant must be terrifying to have that possibility," he said.

The first year medical student said he got a clean bill of health after suffering through the virus for four days.

He and other FIU med students are going on another mission to Haiti in March to help educate about the Zika virus – particularly women, especially pregnant women.