Characterizing the Pattern of Anomalies in Congenital Zika Syndrome for Pediatric Clinicians

Abstract

Contracted through the bite of an infected mosquito or through sexual or other modes of transmission, Zika virus (ZIKV) infection can be prenatally passed from mother to fetus.¹ The virus was first identified in the region of the Americas in early 2015, when local transmission was reported in Brazil.² Six months later, a notable increase in the number of infants with congenital microcephaly was observed in northeast Brazil.^3,4 Clinical, epidemiologic, and laboratory evidence led investigators to conclude that intrauterine ZIKV infection was a cause of microcephaly and serious brain anomalies.^5-7 However, as with other newly recognized teratogens, these features likely represent a portion of a broader spectrum.