Zika Virus: A Review of Literature

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arthropod-borne virus that was first isolated in 1947. Since then, multiple outbreaks of ZIKV have been reported in different countries. It is transmitted mostly by Aedes mosquitoes, and the symptoms of fever, joint pain, red eyes, headache, and maculopapular rash closely resemble chikungunya and dengue. The most severe complications of ZIKV infection include the risk of microcephaly and other congenital brain anomalies in infected pregnant women. It is a condition that can be easily prevented with proper education. In this review, we focussed on different aspects of the recent outbreaks of Zika virus disease, including its epidemiological background, transmission routes, presentation, as well as diagnosis and prevention.