Zika Virus Infection: A Global Health Emergency | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Medical Microbiology | ||||
| Article 17, Volume 31, Issue 1, January 2022, Page 121-124 PDF (190.51 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Review articles | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejmm.2022.215344 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Author | ||||
Ayman Khalid Johargy 
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| Associate professor of Medical Microbiology of Umm Al-Qura University | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Zika virus is an arthropod-borne virus in the Flaviviridae family. It was first isolated in 1947 in Uganda. The main route of Zika virus transmission is through an infected Aedes mosquito bite. However, other routes of transmission were possible including vertical transmission from mother to fetus, sexual transmission and by blood transfusion. Infection is usually asymptomatic, and commonly reported symptoms include fever, maculopapular rash, arthralgia, conjunctivitis, headache and myalgia. However, Zika virus infection during pregnancy is a cause of microcephaly and other severe fetal brain malformations. For laboratory diagnosis of Zika virus infection a combination of serological and molecular techniques, along with clinical and epidemiological data can be used. There is no specific antiviral treatment or vaccine for Zika virus, meaning that prevention with proper education is the best protection against it. In this review, we focused on different aspects of Zika virus, including virological characteristics, epidemiology and routes of transmission, signs and symptoms, laboratory diagnosis, treatments, prevention and control measures. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Arboviruses; Zika virus; microcephaly; Aedes mosquito; Brazil outbreak | ||||
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