In a recent phone survey, 42 percent of Americans reported thinking that people infected with the Zika virus were likely to die from the infection.

The survey, conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania, suggests that despite massive news coverage of the ongoing outbreaks, critical information about the virus is not being clearly conveyed.

For the record, infections with the Zika virus, which are mainly transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, typically result in mild to no illness. In fact, health experts estimate that around 80 percent of those infected will show no symptoms at all. For the remaining 20 percent or so that do, the symptoms are generally mild and include fever, aches, rashes, and pink eye.

In relatively rare instances, Zika has been linked (although not definitively) to a neurological condition, called Guillain–Barré syndrome, which can lead to paralysis. Many patients with the condition eventually recover with time and rehabilitation.

A greater concern, however, is for pregnant women who become infected with the virus. Zika’s spread has been linked (although not definitively) to upticks in a birth defect, called microcephaly, which results in babies born with abnormally small and malformed heads and brains. Recent studies have found that Zika virus infects and kills brain cells, offering strong support for the link.

“It’s critical that the public understand that it’s possible to have and as a result to transmit the virus while showing no symptoms,” Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the APPC, said in a press release. “Health officials and the media need to more clearly communicate that fact.”

While there is currently no evidence that mosquitoes are transmitting the virus within the US mainland, numerous travelers returning from areas experiencing outbreaks have returned with the virus. And, although person-to-person transmission is far less common than mosquito transmission, the latest data suggests that sexual transmission from men to their partners may be more common than expected.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued travel alerts for more than two dozen countries and territories where Zika is spreading. The agency has also recommended that pregnant women postpone travel to these areas and that men returning from Zika-stricken areas practice safe sex.

The APPC survey, conducted between March 2 and 7, included 1,019 respondents and has a margin of error of ±3.7 percent.