Current priorities in the Zika response

Abstract

Zika virus (ZIKV), a single‐stranded RNA virus of the Flaviviridae family, is an arbovirus (viruses transmitted by arthropods) transmitted to humans and non‐human primates through the bites of infected female Aedes sp. mosquitoes. Although first isolated in 1947, it only recently emerged as a global threat, present in several countries resulting in a pandemic scenario. ZIKV infections may have severe outcomes, such as neurological impairment, and with the intrinsic ability of inducing microcephaly in fetuses of infected pregnant women, the virus has become a major public health problem. This review discusses some advances in diagnosis; vaccine development and the problems associated with their administration; the importance of the cross‐reactivity with other flaviviruses in protecting or worsening the disease; the implications of the recent outbreak caused by the virus in the world; and future prospects for the complete understanding of this disease.