Zika virus - A vector borne zoonotic disease: An international public health emergency

The geographical distribution of Zika virus has expanded tremendously since 2007. The consequences of transmission of dengue and chikungunya, zika virus is the latest culprit in a long list of arbovirus epidemics that emerged as a global public health threat over the last decade. Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus, first isolated in Uganda from a sentinel monkey in 1947, which is transmitted by Aedes genus mosquitoes, also transmits diseases such as chikungunya, dengue, and yellow fever. Mosquito and sentinel animal surveillance studies have demonstrated that ZIKV is endemic to Africa and Southeast Asia. It causes dengue-like syndromes but with milder symptoms. Among common clinical manifestations fever, arthralgia, conjunctivitis, myalgia, headache, and maculopapular rash. Newborn microcephaly, the most devastating and insidious complication associated. ZIKV, has been described in the offspring of women who became infected while pregnant. However, Zika virus infection in pregnant women has a suspected link with newborn microcephaly by mother to child transmission. In very few cases Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a rare condition in which immune system attacks the nerves, leading to muscle weakness and even paralysis. A number of countries have issued travel warnings and the outbreak is expected to have an impact on the tourism industry. This review is focused on zika virus transmitted by Aedes (Stegomyia) mosquitoes their symptoms, diagnosis, prevention, control strategy and treatment as an important challenge to public health emergency, monitoring environmental and climatic precursors of vector-borne diseases linked to integrated surveillance of human cases and vectors. Given the rapid geographic spread of ZIKV in recent years, a coordinated local, regional, and global effort is needed to generate sufficient resources and political traction to effectively halt and contain further expansion of the current outbreak. Certainly, raising awareness and increasing knowledge among the general public, public health practitioners, and policy makers about disease vectors and their relationship with infectious diseases. In addition, much more work needs to be done to produce an effective vaccine.