Zika virus: An emerging challenge to public health worldwide
Yashika SharmaCanadian Journal of Microbiology
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Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne virus that was first isolated from Zika forest, Uganda, in 1947. Since its inception, major and minor outbreaks have been documented from several parts of world. Aedes spp. mosquitoes are the primary vectors of ZIKV, but the virus can also be transmitted through sexual practices, materno-fetal transmission, and blood transfusion. The clinical presentations of symptomatic ZIKV infections are similar to dengue and chikungunya, including fever, headache, arthralgia, retro-orbital pain, conjunctivitis, and rash. ZIKV often causes mild illness in the majority of cases, but in some instances, it is linked with congenital microcephaly and autoimmune disorders like Guillain–Barré syndrome. The recent Indian ZIKV outbreak suggests that the virus is circulating in the South East Asian region and may cause new outbreaks in future. At present, no specific vaccines or antivirals are available to treat ZIKV, so management and control of ZIKV infections rely m...
Key takeaways
- Figure 1 shows the geographic distribution of ZIKV since its discovery to the recent outbreak in 2018.
- The viral RNA was detected among 2.8% asymptomatic blood donors in the region during ZIKV outbreak (Musso et al. 2014b).
- It was recognized in late 2015 when the number of neonatal microcephaly cases was increased during ZIKV outbreak in Brazil (Kleber de Oliveira et al.
- Different commercial diagnostic kits based on serology and nucleic acid detection have been developed after the severe ZIKV outbreak of the Americas in 2015-2016.
- With expanding global outbreaks, Zika infection has emerged as a significant threat to public health, and epidemiological similarities of ZIKV with chikungunya and dengue make it a suitable candidate for becoming a global health problem.
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Zika virus (ZIKV) was discovered more than half a century ago, recently it has gained unprecedented attention by the global health community. Until 2007, only 14 cases of human ZIKV infections were reported around the globe, while during the current outbreak, estimated cases mounted to approximately 1.5 million in Brazil alone, the virus was disseminated to wider South-American territories and travel-associated ZIKV infections were reported in USA, Europe and recently in China. ZIKV infections remain asymptomatic in approximately 80% of the individuals, and no anti-viral treatments were recommended. Yet, neurological complications associated with the infections, such as infant microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome are major cause of the concern. Although, based on small numbers of cases, existing evidence strongly supports an exclusive link of viral infection and observed neurological complications. However, much work remains to assign exact numbers of complications caused by ZIKV. Regarding its structural attributes ZIKV shows remarkable resemblance with dengue virus and West-Nile virus. Despite, genomes of different ZIKV strains have already been decoded; role of the viral components in infection process and particularly pathogenesis of the disease remain widely unclear. In vulnerable areas, most viable strategy to ensure public health safety is vector control and enhanced public awareness about the transmission of the disease.
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A review on Zika virus outbreak, epidemiology, transmission and infection dynamics
Journal of Biological Research-Thessaloniki, 2020
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a newly emergent relative of the Flaviviridae family and linked to dengue (DENV) and Chikungunya (CHIVKV). ZIKV is one of the rising pathogens promptly surpassing geographical borders. ZIKV infection was characterized by mild disease with fever, headache, rash, arthralgia and conjunctivitis, with exceptional reports of an association with Guillain–Barre syndrome (GBS) and microcephaly. However, since the end of 2015, an increase in the number of GBS associated cases and an astonishing number of microcephaly in fetus and new-borns in Brazil have been related to ZIKV infection, raising serious worldwide public health concerns. ZIKV is transmitted by the bite of infected female mosquitoes of Aedes species. Clarifying such worrisome relationships is, thus, a current unavoidable goal. Here, we extensively described the current understanding of the effects of ZIKV on heath, clinical manifestation, diagnosis and treatment options based on modern, alternative and comple...
Zika virus disease: a current review of the literature
Infection, 2016
A Global Concern on Zika Virus: Transmission, Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment
Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics
Zika virus is a mosquito-transmitted flavivirus belongs to family Flaviviridae which becomes the focus of an ongoing pandemic and public health emergency all around the world. Zika virus has two lineages African and Asian. Mosquito-borne flavivirus is thought to replicate initially in dendritic cell and then spread to lymph nodes and then to the bloodstream. Zika virus was initially recognized in Uganda in 1947 in Monkeys through a method that observed yellow fever. It was later distinguished in people in 1952 in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. The explosions of the zika virus disease have been recorded in Africa, The Americas, Asia, and The Pacific. Gillian-Berre syndrome and congenital malformation (microcephaly) suspected to be linked with Zika virus. The virus can only be confirmed through laboratory test on blood or other body fluids, such as urine, saliva or semen. No specific antiviral treatment for Zika virus disease exists. Treatment is aimed at relieving sympto...
Zika Virus:The Current Threat
Mosquito-borne infections and viral outbreaks have bewildered physicians and population at large from time to time. Zika virus and its vector Aedes aegypti are currently bothering the world population, and this infection has affected pregnant women causing microcephaly in their newborns and also has caused Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)-like manifestations in affected individuals. Currently, the outbreak is concentrated in the countries of South American continent, but the omnipresence of its vector has made the world community cautious about the potential of its spread; thus the great emphasis is on prevention and vector control strategies to counter Zika virus attack. Consequently , Ministry of Health, Government of India has also taken cognizance of this and issued guidelines to tackle this problem.
A Review on Zika Virus: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis and Clinical Outcomes
International Journal of Pathogen Research
A single-stranded RNA virus of the Flaviviridae family, the Zika virus is mainly spread by Aedes mosquitoes. Zika virus infection was originally thought to be a mild and self-limiting illness when it was first discovered in Uganda in 1947. Infection in pregnant women, causes serious congenital abnormalities, including microcephaly, a condition marked by an abnormally small head and brain size, was only discovered in 2015 as a result of a significant outbreak in Brazil. Since then, the Zika virus has caused on-going outbreaks throughout the globe, raising serious concerns about public health. Despite significant research efforts, there is currently no cure or vaccine for Zika virus infection, and mosquito control and safe sexual behaviour continue to be the major ways to cut down on transmission. It is crucial to maintain surveillance and study in order to comprehend the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and clinical outcomes of Zika virus infection and to create efficient prevention and t...
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